Soulmates
by Tigrnf21
Summary: A beautiful and mysterious woman joins the X-Men after they rescue her from a Russian prison. She foretells of an important mission with one of their own, but harbors a dark past. Will she help them save the world or tear them apart?
1. Chapter 1: Rescue in Russia

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to any recognizable characters. This story takes place after Amazing X-Men 19.

At the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, a quiet day was rare. This day appeared to be a very rare jewel indeed. Rachel Grey AKA Marvel Girl and Piotr "Peter" Rasputin AKA Colossus were in the Danger Room instructing some of the school's younger students in the art of combat while Kurt Wagner AKA Nightcrawler sat in the control room monitoring the proceedings. They were running a basic simulation—defeat the numerous bad guys and save the world, when Rachel suddenly cried out in pain. No one was in her vicinity, so the cause of her discomfort was not evident. Kurt hit the button to stop the simulation. As the room returned to a large empty metal chamber, the students froze, looking about them to see what had happened.

Rachel began speaking: " _Pomogite_ _nas_! _Pomogite nas_ _,_ _pozhaluysta_! +46.25 +38.98." She repeated the message.

In a cloud of brimstone-scented smoke and with a signature "bamf" sound, Kurt used his teleportation powers to move from his position in the control room to a spot next to the young woman.

"Is that Russian?" he asked, studying his friend. She seemed to be in a trance repeating the words over and over. He was reluctant to touch the red headed girl in her current state.

" _Da_ ," Piotr answered. The large Russian converted from his metal form to flesh as he stepped towards the others.

He translated: "Help us! Help us, please! Then…some numbers."

"What does it—" Kurt's question was interrupted by a beeping sound from the control console in the room above. He teleported back to from where he had come.

Rachel gasped, then dropped to bended knee. She fell silent. Piotr helped her return to her feet.

"What happened?" she asked, cradling her head.

"You were in a trance and speaking in Russian," he informed her. "How do you feel now?"

"Major headache."

Kurt spoke through the sound system in the room: "Training session over. Peter, Rachel, we're wanted in the mission prep room. Everybody else, class dismissed!"

He pressed the button to open the Danger Room's doors. The students began to file out slowly, dragging their feet, hoping to catch a snippet of conversation about what had ended their training session so abruptly. A second later, the German mutant again stood beside his fellow teammates.

"Rachel, are you okay?" He gingerly touched the girl's shoulder.

"Yeah. I think another telepath was reaching out for help. The voice was so loud in my head though and I couldn't communicate back."

"Well, then, _meine freunde_ , shall we go?" He didn't wait for a reply. He placed his free hand on Piotr's shoulder. With a single thought, he teleported them to the X-Men's mission prep room. Several of the other X-Men were already present: Ororo Monroe AKA Storm—the current leader of the X-Men, Jean-Paul Beaubier AKA Northstar and Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy AKA Beast. A few seconds later, Robert "Bobby" Drake AKA Iceman joined them.

Hank brought up a display of a world map on one of the computer screens in the room. "We had five mutant signatures show up at latitude +46.25 longitude +38.98." He pressed a button and the map zoomed in to a point in Russia near the Ukraine border and Sea of Azov.

Colossus leaned closer to Kurt. "The numbers Rachel was reciting..."

" _Ja_ ," Kurt agreed.

"The signatures didn't last long, but we were able to pinpoint the location," Hank continued. The map continued to zoom until it revealed a satellite picture of several grey buildings surrounded by large trucks and other vehicles. "We don't know much about the compound. It appears military, but is listed as abandoned by the Russian government. Satellite images show some recent activity, but we can't get a reading on the inside of the facility. It appears to be protected by some kind of security field. We will be going in blind."

"Not completely," Kurt spoke up. "Rachel was contacted by a possible telepath at that location, perhaps one of the mutants."

"Yes?" Hank asked. "What did they tell you?"

Everyone turned to Rachel. She shot Nightcrawler a dirty look for bringing attention to her episode in the Danger Room. "Not much. I believe it was a male telepath from the voice in my head. He just begged for help and gave those coordinates." She shrugged.

"Well, then it sounds like we have some mutants in need of the X-Men's help," Ororo stated. "Suit up! Wheels up in fifteen."

* * *

Soon, all the members of the X-Men that had been present during the briefing minus Hank were strapped into one of the X-Men's SR-71 Blackbirds and headed for Russia. Kurt was piloting and Ororo sat in the copilot seat. The rest sat in various seats in the back of the plane. They were all dressed in their respective uniforms.

Kurt landed the plane in an open field near the facility where the mutants were supposed to be located. They approached the compound silently, hoping for the element of surprise. They stopped their advance once they reached the edge of a growth of trees that hid them in order to take account of the situation. Hank tracked their progress from the school back in New York.

There was no one outside the facility and everything looked quiet. However, Ororo knew better than to trust appearances. She ordered Kurt to teleport near one of the buildings' windows and report back what he saw inside. With the sound of imploding air and a cloud of smoke, he materialized outside the building. Looking through a window, he saw an armed man walk by the darkened room inside.

"Storm," he whispered. There was no response on the communicator in his ear. "Storm," he repeated. "Ororo!" he said a little louder after a few seconds of silence.

He decided to try a different tact. He reached out with his mind and called "Rachel!" Still nothing. Whatever was blocking them from reading the mutants inside the building must also have blocked his communicator and Rachel's telepathic powers too.

He peered back through the window. He decided to scout on his own and then return to his team. He teleported into the dark room, melting into the shadows. Only his bright yellow eyes were visible to any passerby. Not hearing any noises from outside the room, he stuck his head out the door to see a long empty hallway. He decided to move in the same direction as the man he had observed.

* * *

Ororo tried to raise Kurt on her communicator, but could not. She repeated a few minutes later. Concerned, she told Rachel to try to contact him telepathically. Rachel tried for a few seconds, then shook her head. Ororo decided they could wait no longer. Kurt could have been captured by now. They had to strike before being discovered. Ororo, Jean-Paul and Rachel took to the air. Bobby created an ice ramp and skied along it in his ice form. With Piotr running in the forefront, they moved quickly to the building. Ororo hit the electronic lock on the door with a small bolt of lightning, frying it. Piotr then punched the door inward knocking it off its hinges. He caught it before it crashed to the floor and gingerly leaned it against a wall.

They entered the building and were met almost immediately by two armed guards. Piotr jumped in front of his team as they fired, using his metal form as a shield. Jean-Paul flew around the Russian taking out the guard on Piotr's right. Ororo sent a strong wind to take the other man head first into a wall. The man slumped to the floor. They continued their journey deeper into the building, taking out all opponents they encountered.

They eventually cleared their way to a large central room. They were greeted by ten men pointing AK-47s and flanked by a young woman and man both with blond spiky hair and cold blue eyes. They appeared to be siblings. Behind them stood a man in his 50s with thick salt and pepper hair and a bushy moustache. He wore an olive uniform that looked vaguely military, but had no markings or patches. He was stocky, but not overweight and of average height. With a word from his lips, the others attacked the invaders.

* * *

Kurt turned a corner and ran into a young woman running in the opposite direction. They separated and looked each other up and down. She stood 5' 6" to his 5' 9". She had long wavy hair the color of midnight that could have used a good brushing and eyes of emerald. She was slender, but muscular. Her skin was milky white as if she did not spend much time in the sun. She wore loose white pants and a white long sleeved shirt. Her shoes were lightweight canvas sneakers. The black leather gloves on her hands seemed out of place with the white uniform. She looked haggard, but brightened almost immediately.

" _Inger frumos_!" the woman exclaimed as if greeting an old friend. She broke into a wide smile. She did not seem phased by Kurt's appearance. Most people recoiled from his indigo fur-covered form complete with pointed ears, yellow eyes, three digit hands, two toed feet and blue spike tipped tail.

" _Was_?" Kurt asked surprised, slipping into his native language.

They stood blinking at each other, searching for a solution to their language barrier.

"English?" the girl asked.

" _Ja_. I mean, yes."

She reached down and pulled something out of the pocket of her pants.

"Take me here to end fighting," she said in an accent that wasn't quite Russian. "Up one floor and 218.3 meters to southwest."

She held up what looked like a cell phone. On the small display was a room that looked like a control center. There were several consoles with buttons and switches and several large display screens in the center of the room. There were also two armed men watching the screens intently.

Kurt hesitated. He didn't know this woman. It could be a trap. His mind raced with questions.

 _What fighting? Why does she ask me to take her somewhere and give me directions and an image of the room? Does she know I am a teleporter and can only teleport to places I can see or have seen? How can that be? Why should I trust her?_

But, then that was what he did. He always trusted in the good in others. He held out his hand and she accepted it. In a flash, they stood in the center of the room she had shown him, each behind one of the guards. The two armed men barely had time to turn before Kurt punched the nearest one. The man fell to his knees, but wasn't down. Kurt gave him a right hook that sent him to the ground, out cold. He turned in time to see his companion give the guard in front of her a high kick to the face. The man went down immediately. This was no damsel in distress he decided.

The woman moved quickly to the console. With her back to him, Kurt noticed splotches of something red on the back of her shirt. She pressed several buttons, then turned a microphone to her and hit the button to broadcast to the entire facility.

She spoke into the microphone in Russian: "Viktor, your inhibitor is off. Free Mutant 2 from his mind control, if you can.

"Daniil, Koulakova, surrender! It is over!

"Guards, put down your weapons and leave. You will not be harmed. This is not your fight."

She turned back to Kurt, switching to English. "Please, ask your telepath to free Mutant 3 from her mind control," she beseeched him. She turned the microphone in his direction.

He approached the center screen, which showed the X-Men battling armed guards and several mutants. "Who is Mutant 3?" he inquired, taking in the chaos of the image before him.

His companion pointed to a woman with very short spiky blond hair who was throwing bolts of pale blue plasma at Jean-Paul.

Kurt leaned down and spoke into the microphone: "Marvel Girl, please try to free the _fräulein_ with the spiky blond hair from her mind control." He turned towards the girl beside him. Now that he was so close, he could tell it was blood on her shirt, but who's he wondered.

Before he could say anything, she asked him, "Shall we go join them?" She gave him a sly smile and motioned her head towards the view screen.

He smiled back and offered his hand again. She stood and accepted. Suddenly they were in the room they had been watching from the control room.

"Daniil! Give up! It's over!" she shouted in Russian at a mountain of a man. The intended recipient of the decree almost matched Colossus' height and build. He could have passed for Piotr's brother. He had a similar high and tight haircut with hair the same shade of black. His eyes were a steel blue like the X-Man's, but had a cold, brutal edge to them. The only things that distinguished the two doppelgangers were Daniil's goatee and his lack of the ability to turn to metal. He spun at the sound of his name.

"Hah! It's not over, Witch, till I squeeze the life from your body!" he retorted.

He moved surprisingly fast for his size towards the girl who looked like a doll before the approach of this behemoth. He was more than twice her size and weight, but she did not flinch. Kurt feared he was about to witness this woman's death before he even learned her name. He looked around, but found the other X-Men occupied. Some of the guards had heeded the woman's warning and fled. The rest were battling the X-Men with the aid of the plasma wielding girl and the male mutant who could fly and had what appeared to be sonic powers. Kurt noticed the older man shouting orders and reasoned this must their leader.

He turned back to the two combatants in front of him just as they met. The girl was nimble. She sidestepped her attacker and swung around in a blink of an eye landing a punch to the man's back. He stumbled. He reached out wildly and almost caught hold of her long tresses. She came back with a side kick while he was still off balance. However, the man recovered quickly and backhanded her with one of his huge mitts. She was thrown backwards. Kurt teleported to catch her. He noticed blood on her lips as he helped her regain her balance.

"Why don't you go get your pig stickers, Witch? Then you might have a chance!" Daniil taunted.

Nearby, Mutant 2 stopped his attack and landed. He seemed dazed. He shook his head a few times as if to clear it.

The young telepath Viktor Petrov had managed to free the mind of the brainwashed mutant. He informed Ororo and Bobby that the man no longer posed a threat. Then, he looked around searching for someone he could not locate. His head snapped in the direction of the northwest door and he took off running.

Mutant 2 looked around trying to make sense of the scene before him. He spotted Mutant 3 and yelled "Nevena!" As he moved towards her, Bobby put up an ice wall between them believing he was going to the woman's aid. The blond male turned and hit the man of ice with a sonic blast. Their battle was renewed.

Kurt teleported in front of Daniil catching him with a strong upper cut to the chin, then teleported and punched him in the kidneys. The man ended up on his knees.

Suddenly the dark-haired girl went rigid; her eyes clouded over. A white aurora bordered in green encircled her eyes. " _Nu_ …" she whispered. The trance only lasted a second, then her eyes and posture returned to normal. A determined look crossed her face.

Daniil was already rising. She ran straight for him. She blocked every attempt he made to strike her. Once she was right up against him, she placed her left foot on his right knee and climbed him like a cat scaling a tree, twisting around his body with lightning speed. A moment later, she was sitting on the man's shoulders. It was so fast; it was hard to follow her movements.

Kurt thought, _this woman is highly trained in combat._

The woman raised both arms above her head. She brought all her weight down and struck the giant on top of the head with her hands interlocked in a fist. Daniil returned to his knees dazed. She did a back flip off his shoulders, then turned and ran towards the northwest door.

Kurt was as stunned as Daniil and stood frozen. The larger man recovered first and started after his nemesis.

"Colossus!" Kurt yelled at his teammate.

The metal man finished taking out a guard and turned to see what his fellow X-Man wanted. He realized what it was just in time to clothesline Daniil as the slightly smaller man ran past.

Kurt teleported to the door through which the fleeing woman had exited. She stopped when she reached a wide walkway that encircled a large open atrium. Kurt teleported right beside her to see what had caused her to pause.

Anton Koulakova—the graying man Kurt had seen giving orders—was floating above the open courtyard, clutching at his throat. A tall thin young man not much more than 17 years of age with shoulder length brown hair and hazel eyes stood on the walkway near him shouting in Russian: "…to die, you monster!"

"Viktor! Stop! Do not do this!" the girl yelled.

Kurt didn't understand the words, but from the tone of the voices, he could guess what was going on.

The young telepath turned to look at the girl. "Sonya! You of all people should know what a monster this man is! He deserves to die!"

Kurt did pick out the word 'Sonya'. He deduced that must be the girl's name.

Koulakova hung in the air gasping for breath. Sonya took a step towards Viktor.

"Viktor, don't do this. Koulakova _is_ a monster and he will pay for his crimes. He will be locked away...far away from the sun. He will be a prisoner for a long, long time, longer than we were..."

She continued to approach the young man, her arms outstretched, speaking in a clear, calm voice. "But we are free now. Let us go downstairs and free your family. You can go home. Don't do this. Don't be like him."

"But..." Viktor looked at Koulakova, then back to Sonya.

"You don't want to live with Koulakova's blood on your hands. You are better than him. Just release him and I promise he will pay."

She had reached the boy by now and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt his body trembling. He lowered his head and a tear ran down his cheek.

Koulakova inhaled deeply. He could breathe again. Viktor used his telekinetic powers to move the man back over the walkway to safety. He released his hold on his captive and he dropped several feet to the ground.

Sonya turned and walked to Koulakova who was using the walkway railing for support, still trying to catch his breath. She looked him square in the eyes and pulled her right arm back.

"This is for Viktor and the other mutants!" With all her might she punched him square on the jaw. The man staggered backwards.

"This one is for our families!" She hit him again.

"And this is for me!" A swift roundhouse kick and the older man was down for the count. She towered over him making sure he was really out.

"Sonya?" Kurt asked coming up behind her. She turned to him.

" _Da_. Sonya Pavlovich." She bowed slightly.

"I am—" he started, holding his hand out.

"The X-Man Nightcrawler," Viktor said in perfect English, approaching the couple. "We know or I should say Sonya knows. She knows all.

"I'm Viktor Petrov, by the way. Thank you for answering my psychic call." He shook Kurt's hand enthusiastically.

"I am clairvoyant, but I do not know all," Sonya corrected.

"Clairvoyant…That explains a lot," Kurt said under his breath.

"Well, shall we go release the prisoners and lock Koulakova up?" she asked. "Who wants to carry the dead weight?"

"I should probably get back to my team," Kurt replied.

"They are fine. Just cleaning up. See?"

Sonya held up her apparatus which displayed a scene of the X-Men. All remaining guards had been subdued. Colossus had Daniil on his knees and was showing him no mercy. The two blond spiky haired mutants were hugging each other and Rachel. Jean-Paul, Bobby and Ororo looked on.

"I can project my visions onto objects made of glass like this empty cell phone," she explained.

"Empty cell phone?"

" _Da_. I removed all the insides. Only the case and glass screen left. I don't like to be tracked."

"Easier to carry than crystal ball," Viktor added smiling.

"That never stops being funny," she sarcastically told the young man.

Kurt quickly changed subjects. "Well, since it looks like I'm not needed at the moment…'lay on, MacDuff.'"

"MacDuff? Who is this MacDuff?" Viktor asked confused.

"Shakespeare..."

Viktor still looked confused.

"Never mind. Lead on…" Kurt picked the unconscious man off the ground and slung him over his shoulder. Sonya led them to the nearest stairwell and headed down.

"So, you are the one that contacted Marvel Girl?" Kurt asked Victor.

" _Da_. It was Sonya's plan. She upset Koulakova to a point that he and Daniil beat her—"

Kurt stopped dead. " _Was_?! This monster beat you? That is why your back is covered in blood…He deserves no mercy!" His face distorted in anger, revealing his fangs beneath snarled lips.

" _Nu_ , you do not mean that," Sonya soothed. "The wounds…are not that bad. I'll live. I had to distract them so Viktor could lower facility's shields and contact your telepath. Then, he raised them again so Koulakova would not suspect," Sonya explained as they resumed their journey down the stairs.

"So you were prisoners of Koulakova?"

Sonya answered: " _Da_. Anton Koulakova was Russian military until he decided to go freelance. He mostly handled Russian government's dirty work for them.

"First, he recruited Daniil, then deciding he liked using mutants for his missions, he kidnapped the Bulgarian siblings Nevena and Nedyalko and another Russian called Borislav who was sadly killed two years ago. They were not willing recruits, so he brainwashed them into obeying him. Then, he captured me, but was unable to brainwash me because my powers always show me the truth. Viktor was last to be captured. He was also able to beat the mind control. So, to keep us in line, Koulakova used inhibitors that blocked our powers when we didn't need them…" She pointed to a slender silver metal ring around Viktor's neck.

Viktor concentrated and the ring disintegrated. He wiped the pieces from his clothes. "Forgot about that…" he mumbled.

He took over the story: "He also used physical and mental punishment including kidnapping and threatening our families. He also held the families of the scientists working here hostage."

They had reached the bottom of the stairs and walked down a long hall in silence. Kurt couldn't find words. He had seen so much pain and suffering in his life, but it still chilled him to the bone when confronted with such atrocities.

They reached the end of the hall. There was a deserted desk with a computer on it and a closed metal door. Sonya stepped to the computer. She removed one of her gloves and touched the console. She closed her eyes for a second, then began typing. The door behind her opened. There were clicking noises from the corridor beyond the door, then silence. Sonya stood up, replaced her glove and started through the door. The two men followed. On each side of the corridor were jail cells. Some were empty; some contained frightened people who cowered in the back of their cells. Sonya and Viktor went down the row opening the cell doors and coaxing the people inside to come out.

Sonya helped Kurt place Koulakova on a cot in one of the empty cells. As she placed his arm on the cot, she removed a bracelet from his wrist and pocketed it without the X-Man noticing. Once everyone was free, she returned to the computer and entered the code to lock all the cells. Seven freed individuals now joined them. Viktor located his parents and younger brother. They hugged and all spoke at once.

"We should get back upstairs," Sonya suggested.

"Your family is not here?" Kurt asked.

" _Nu_ , Koulakova threatened to capture them, but I always folded to his will before he did. They are still safe in Romania."

"Ahhh…I didn't think your accent was quite Russian. And you don't say _nyet_. So…you are Romanian."

" _Da_."

Kurt and Sonya led the track back down the hall and up the stairs. The prisoners asked lots of questions the whole way, so Kurt was unable to learn more about the mysterious Romanian. Viktor and Sonya explained to the ex-prisoners that the X-Men had defeated Koulakova and they were free now. The group finally reached the large room where the rest of the X-Men waited. They had been joined by two men and a woman in lab coats. When Kurt's group entered the room, the new arrivals let out cries of joy and ran to the ex-prisoners. Everyone was hugging and talking until the sound was almost unbearable.

Kurt and Sonya approached his fellow teammates. He introduced everyone and recounted what he had learned from Sonya. The decision was made to lock the guards and Daniil up in the cells with Koulakova.

Ororo contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. and offered them the prisoners. It turned out Koulakova and Daniil were on their list of wanted criminals and they were all too happy to take the Russian off the X-Men's hands. They dispatched a plane from one of their Eastern European bases to pick him and his men up.

The only thing left was to return Koulakova's victims to their rightful places. Since the scientists were all local, they requisitioned several of the compound's trucks for their journeys home.

Ororo offered the remaining mutants a place at the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning. All, but Sonya quickly refused. She seemed hesitant to give an answer and asked to speak to the X-Men's leader and Kurt alone. They walked outside into a hall where they could speak privately.

Sonya tentatively started: "As I have said, I am clairvoyant. Sometimes visions come to me in my dreams. I have had such a vision of Nightcrawler and myself. I'm not sure what it means, but I have a feeling that it is important."

"A vision about me? What did you see?" Kurt inquired.

"We are standing in front of an object floating in the air that shimmers like the sea in the morning sun. We are bathed in the light from this object. There is another with us. A man, I believe, in a strange outfit whose face is hidden from me. He also floats in the air. The vision only lasts a few seconds, but I have seen it many times. I get a feeling of urgency…like this event must come to fruition. It is as if…the world depends on it."

Ororo and Kurt were shocked. They weren't sure what to think.

"Can you show us the vision?" Kurt asked.

Sonya held up her broken cell phone and projected the image she had described onto its screen.

"I know…it sounds crazy. I wish I knew more. I wish I could see more. I had hoped that when I met Nightcrawler in person, I would learn more, but I haven't." She inclined her head and looked at Kurt with a questioning look. "But maybe..." She stepped directly in front of him. She removed her gloves and held up her bare hands. "May I?"

"I…" He leaned away from her unsure what she was asking.

"My connection is stronger when I am in physical contact with the subject. Bare skin against bare skin is best. If you will allow me—"

" _Ja_ …" He leaned back towards her.

She placed her hands on one of the few areas of his body that was not covered by his uniform—his neck—and closed her eyes. She concentrated. No visions came to her. She moved her hands up till they rested on his cheeks, her fingers spread through his curly dark hair and encircling his pointed ears. She pulled his face towards her and leaned forward until their foreheads touched. Her warm breath rustled the fur on his face. Their breath became one. Kurt squeezed his eyes shut concentrating on the sensation of the heat of her hands against his skin.

She broke the bond after a few minutes and stepped back.

"I don't understand. I have always been able to read someone when touching them. I get nothing from our contact. It's very odd. I should have seen something. A glimpse of your past or future. I get nothing…" She sounded distraught.

"Well, if what you say is true and you and Nightcrawler do have some kind of connected destiny, then you must come to America. You can stay at the school and the X-Men can train you. Maybe as the event approaches, you will be able to see more," Ororo decreed.

"I agree," Kurt concurred.

"I—I guess so. But there are some things I must do first. There is a helicopter in the hanger. I will use it to return the other mutants to their homes. And I wish to spend a little time with my family. Then, I will make my way to your school."

"I can come get you when you are ready," Kurt offered.

"Not necessary. I will be on the doorstep of the school at 10:56AM on the 23rd."


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival in America

At 10:50AM on the 23rd, Kurt stood on the front porch of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning with Dr. Cecilia Reyes. He leaned back against one of the columns that supported the porch, his right leg propped up on it, trying to hide his anticipation of seeing the dark haired beauty again. If the dreadlocked woman at his side noticed his anxiousness, she said nothing.

For fifteen days he had thought about her. The prognostication of the important mission they would share intrigued him. The image she had showed him of their future haunted him. _She_ haunted him.

The taxi appeared in the distance and drove slowly up the driveway towards the school. Kurt forced himself to look nonchalant. The car stopped in front of them exactly when Sonya said it would. The driver exited the vehicle and opened the back door. The girl in the back seat swiveled and stepped out of the car. She wore a long sleeved collarless white shirt that had a shallow v-cut at the throat and string tie closure that was left loose. It was intricately embroidered down the sleeves and around the opening and throat in flowers. A delicate silver chain peeked out the top of her blouse. Her full skirt was a colorful floral that fell below her knees. Her black boots covered the rest of her legs. A wide light tan leather belt that laced up the front covered her waist. She wore large round sunglasses and a blue scarf was tied in her hair. Blue cloth gloves covered her hands. She closed the car door behind her.

Kurt breathed in sharply. She looked more beautiful than he recalled. He stepped off the porch to retrieve the suitcases the taxi driver was removing from the trunk. Sonya took money out of the pocket of her skirt and handed it to the driver who was staring at Kurt. The man closed the trunk, got in the car and quickly left without a word.

"Right on time," Kurt noted.

Sonya removed her glasses. "But, of course…"

He looked at the two small suitcases. "Is this all you have?"

"I travel light."

He realized his question had been insensitive. This girl had been held prisoner for years. Of course, she did not have much to call her own.

They walked up the stairs to the porch, each carrying a suitcase. Kurt noticed two pockets sewn into the leather on the back of her belt. They looked suspiciously like scabbards.

When they reached the top of the stairs and the Puerto Rican doctor, Kurt introduced the women. "Sonya, this is Dr. Cecilia Reyes, the school's chief physician. Cecilia, this is Sonya Pavlovich, our newest recruit."

The women shook hands. They all three entered the building together and Kurt sat the suitcases by the front door.

"I will have them taken up to your room," he assured the new arrival as she looked around the huge foyer. No emotion showed on her face.

"We will need to have you checked by one of our telepaths and run a few medical tests. Then, we can meet with Storm and decide how to proceed," Cecilia explained.

Sonya nodded. First, they escorted her to a small room with a table and four chairs where Rachel awaited them. Cecilia excused herself and Sonya and Kurt sat down. Rachel telepathically scanned Sonya to ensure she was who she said she was and posed no threat to the X-Men. She was cleared. Sonya took a moment to thank the young woman for all she had done to help the mutants in Russia.

Then Kurt escorted Sonya to the school's infirmary where Cecilia took blood and ran various medical tests to ensure Sonya carried no dangerous pathogens. She also asked about her mutant abilities and made entries in the X-Men's database. After about an hour, she was again cleared.

Kurt informed her that it would be about an hour before Ororo would be available to meet with them. He asked her if she was hungry and she indicated she was. He led her to the school's large kitchen. This seemed to impress her. He asked what she wanted. She stepped to the refrigerator, removed a glove and placed her bare hand on it.

"I have an idea. You sit down and I'll make lunch," she told him.

After a few minutes, she laid a generous plate of lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, Gorgonzola cheese and walnuts with raspberry vinaigrette dressing in front of him.

"Wow, this looks delicious," he told her.

She laid another plate of salad in front of the seat across from him and sat down in the chair. "I loved to cook when I was younger," she explained. "Of course, Koulakova didn't allow me to cook. Was afraid I would poison him…and I probably would have." She smiled.

Kurt bowed his head to say a prayer. Sonya looked surprised, then followed his lead.

"That's something I haven't done in a long time," she told him once they were finished.

"Pray?" Kurt picked up his fork and began to eat.

" _Da_." She pushed the food on her plate around with her fork. "Oh, I prayed at first. My upbringing in the Romanian Orthodox Church, I suppose. But not for the food we were given. That was horrible.

"But, after a while, I quit. Didn't see the use any more. But I guess my prayers _were_ answered eventually. God sent me an _Inger_ and you freed me."

"It wasn't all me. It was the X-Men. And you sacrificed your body by taking a brutal beating to make it possible to contact us." He stopped eating and looked at her.

"You called me that word or something similar when we first met. What does it mean?"

"Angel. I called you 'beautiful angel' before."

"Huh. I don't believe I've been called that before. Devil, demon, things like that, sure." He took another bite of food.

"Well, you see, the vision I showed you of our future was not the only vision I've had of you. I knew the X-Men would rescue us and you in particular. I guess in my dreams, you became my savior, my angel." She picked up a strawberry on her fork and put it in her mouth. "Mmmm. I haven't had strawberries since…probably two years ago."

"Well, there's a grocery list on the frig. Put whatever you want on it—within reason—and we'll have it delivered."

She looked thoughtful.

" _Was_?" he asked her.

"This is another thing I haven't done in a long time."

" _Was_?"

"Getting to know someone by talking to them. Letting them tell me what they want me to know instead of prying open their past to learn what I want or need to know. It's refresh—" She fell silent.

" _Was_?" he asked concerned.

"Beings…coming…"

Suddenly, five little creatures surrounded them. They were about two feet tall and looked like a cross between Nightcrawler and a cherub.

"Bamf!" the one standing on the table at Sonya's elbow proclaimed. She wasn't sure what to make of them. They danced around the couple like little fairies.

"Oh…these…are bamfs. They are from another dimension, but for some reason have decided they like it here. They're mostly friendly…" The one sitting on Kurt's shoulder suddenly jumped down and grabbed a blueberry from his plate and popped it into its mouth. "…and annoying."

"From another dimension? They…look like you…"

" _Ja_. Not all together sure why."

Sonya turned to the bamf beside her. " _Bună ziua_. Nice to meet you…bamf." She picked up a strawberry from her plate and offered it to the creature. It took it and gobbled it down.

"Whiskey!" it exclaimed.

"Whiskey?" Sonya asked.

" _Ja_ , they only seem to know two words: bamf and whiskey. They mostly communicate telepathically."

"I see."

The couple ate their lunch as best they could have surrounded by five mischievous imps. The rest of their conversation remained light as the hour quickly passed.

Afterwards, Kurt took Sonya to Ororo's office. The African goddess turned headmistress greeted them warmly. Sonya took a moment to study her. She was Kurt's height and beautiful. Her low cut, fitted costume showed off her athletic form and flawless brown skin. Her eyes were crystal blue and her head was shaved except for a strip of white hair that ran down the center of her skull. She exuded strength and wisdom. Sonya decided she could follow this woman.

All three took seats.

"I have assigned Kurt to show you around and help you acclimatize. If you two do have an important destiny, then you will need to learn to work together, to trust each other, so you will be ready when the time comes. You will need to train together and eventually go on missions together. But, first, you must prove yourself and your first missions will be lightweight. Is this acceptable?" Storm asked.

" _Da_."

"Do you have any questions?"

"Am I a student or X-Man?" Sonya asked.

"You will be both. Now that you have been cleared by Dr. Reyes and Rachel, you are free to take full advantage of our facilities. I assure you we will take full advantage of your talents."

"Then I am ready to get started."

"Good. I believe Henry has a test already set up for you."

* * *

Sonya stood alone on the floor of the Danger Room waiting. Hank, Rachel and Kurt looked down at her from the control room. She was now dressed in one of the X-Men's yellow and black training uniforms. She had kept her boots and belt which now held two throwing daggers in the scabbards at her back.

Hank had spent several hours programming the Danger Room based off what they knew of Sonya's gifts and was entering some last minute modifications. The new recruit grew tired of waiting and started to fidget.

"Doing okay?" Hank asked.

"Uniform is a bit tight…"

"It will be fine. We all wore them at one time or another," Hank assured her over the room's loudspeaker.

"Okay, this run we want to try without any powers." He punched a few buttons and the simulation came up frozen at its beginning. "All you have to do is press the red button at the other end of the room to end the simulation. Are you ready?"

" _Da_."

Hank said "Go" as his finger came down on the button to start the run.

The room came to life. Sonya found herself in an outside park like setting. There were several large trees, park benches and a sidewalk. A light breeze even blew her hair. She could hear birds and almost smell the grass. It seemed so real.

Suddenly, several thugs armed with pistols appeared and started to move towards her. In the blink of an eye, she moved her right hand to grasp the hilt of the dagger on the same side of her belt. She drew and threw it underhanded towards the red button. It hit dead center. The park and simulated men disappeared. The timer on the console in front of the observers stopped at 2.3 seconds.

"Wow," Rachel said.

"That was anti-climactic," Kurt stated.

"Yeah," Hank added.

Sonya walked the length of the room and pulled her dagger out of the wall. She replaced it in its scabbard and returned to her starting position. She looked up at the control room.

"Okay…let's try that again." Hank hit a few buttons on the console to reset the simulation. "No powers _or_ daggers this time. Ready?"

Sonya shrugged. " _Da_."

Hank again yelled "Go" as he hit the button to start the run.

The thugs started their attack again. She cartwheeled forward closing the gap to the nearest man. She hit him on the chin with a high kick, knocking him into a tree. She then jumped on a park bench, ran its length and launched herself into the air flipping over the head of the next guy, landing behind him. Without turning around to look at him, she caught him with an elbow to the face as he spun towards her, then followed with a kick.

She zigzagged at a full run avoiding bullets from the remaining men. She caught the next thug right behind the wrist. She spun him in front of her as the last man fired his weapon. She then threw her human shield at the remaining man. They collapsed in a pile. She reached the red button and pressed it.

"Impressive," Hank commented. Sonya strolled back to her starting point. "This time with powers, no weapons." He reset the simulation again.

" _Da_."

The gauntlet started again. This time she ran straight down the course between the first two men. She ducked and rolled as the first one started to fire at her. She flipped back onto her feet and grabbed the second man. She spun him in front of her then gave him a hard kick from behind sending him flying into the first man.

She sprinted towards the last two. She incapacitated the first one with a flying kick. The last, she grabbed by the wrist, twisting his arm and wrenching his gun from his grip. She then struck him on the top of the head with the weapon. She reached the button and pressed it.

"Very good," Hank praised. He gave her a moment to catch her breath. He brought up Cecilia's report on the computer screen before him and scanned it. Something caught his eye. "You mentioned 'channeling' to Dr. Reyes when you were talking about your powers. What is that?"

"If I concentrate really hard, I can channel any skill a person possesses. It came in handy when I was spy. I could 'borrow' the skill of a pilot or nurse or whatever I needed for a mission."

"What about powers? Can you channel another mutant's powers?"

" _Nu_."

"How close do you have to be to the person you are channeling?"

"I've been as far away as a kilometer."

"How long do you retain the skill?"

"It takes a lot of concentration. I've been able to hold onto a skill for up to an hour as long as it's not physically demanding."

Hank turned the loudspeaker off and looked to Kurt. "Are you up to a fencing match?" he asked.

"I'm always up for a fencing matching," Kurt declared, a broad smile on his face.

Hank turned the loudspeaker back on. "Are you up to demonstrating your channeling ability?"

" _Da_ ," she answered.

Kurt teleported to the gymnasium's storage room and retrieved two fencing jackets, masks and gloves and a pair of practice epees. He then teleported back to the Danger Room floor. He helped Sonya put on one of the jackets then put the other one on himself. They each placed a glove over their sword hand. He took one of the epees and masks and handed the others to Sonya. She wasn't sure how to hold the pistol grip and fumbled with the weapon for a moment. Concentrating on her opponent, she suddenly grasped the sword competently and brandished it in the air a couple of times.

"Are you okay with this?"

" _Da_." They saluted each other with their weapons and put on their masks.

" _En garde_!" Kurt exclaimed.

They each planted their feet with one pointed directly ahead and the other slightly behind and perpendicular. Each squatted slightly with sword held before them.

"Ready?" She nodded. He returned the nod.

"Fence!"

He advanced first, but she parried each of his lunges. It took him almost a minute to hit her forearm with the tip of his blade. She came right back and scored on his foot after another hard fought round. They continued, neither gaining an advantage for long. One would score, then the other.

After about ten minutes of intense exertion, Sonya's legs and arms started to burn. Sweat ran down her brow. She started to get sloppy. Kurt began to win.

"Halt!" she yelled after another two minutes. She was breathing hard. She raised her mask and bent over placing her hands on her knees to rest for a moment. She straightened and wiped her brow. "Sorry, I can't keep it up any longer."

Kurt saluted his worthy opponent. She returned the salute. He removed his mask. "You were amazing!" he enthused.

"It was all you. You basically just fought yourself. You are a true master of the sword."

" _Danke_." He bowed slightly.

"Fencing against you was…enjoyable. Will you teach me? I mean, really teach me, no channeling."

" _Ja_. We'll start tomorrow. 8AM."

"Mmm…I hope my legs recover by then."

"Why don't I take you to your room and let you rest and get settled?"

"That sounds wonderful."

After Sonya changed back into her own clothes, Kurt showed her to a nice sized bedroom with a private bath on the second floor of the dormitories. It contained a double size bed, dresser, chest of drawers and a desk with a chair. Her suitcases had been placed at the foot of the bed. She thanked him for everything. He promised to return in about an hour to give her the grand tour of the school.

* * *

Kurt rapped lightly on the door to Sonya's room seventy-two minutes after leaving her. She opened it wide. She was completely unpacked and cleaned up.

"Ready?" he asked.

" _Da_."

Their tour started with the dormitory's shared living areas: large seating areas with TVs and other entertainment systems and desks for studying. She had already seen the kitchen, so he showed her the dining room. Then they moved on to the library, laundry room and gymnasium. She strolled along listening to his recitation with mild interest. When they reached the school's computer rooms and laboratories, she perked up.

As they passed Hank's private lab, she spotted the large, blue and furry scientist inside working on an experiment. She waltzed in, avoiding her escort's attempt to catch her arm. Since she seemed determined, Kurt decided to stand back and watch the fireworks. However, Hank barely acknowledged their presence. Sonya strolled around the room looking at everything and picking up several pieces of equipment, studying them intensely. She asked the bespectacled doctor a series of questions that he politely answered. Kurt tried to steer her towards the door, but she sidestepped him each time.

"Dr. McCoy is genius. I wish to stay and learn from him," she whispered to her guide.

"But we haven't finished our tour. You haven't seen the whole school yet or the grounds."

She shrugged. "If I need to find something, I can always use my powers to locate it."

"But Henry doesn't like people in the lab when he is working."

"It will be fine. I will not disturb him. I only want to watch," she assured him. "Thank you for being my mentor and guide today." She escorted him to the door. Kurt shrugged and walked out.

She took a seat and watched the doctor quietly. When he glanced at her, she spoke. "I had planned to study chemistry and botany at university, but that was made impossible by Koulakova kidnapping me. Fortunately, one of the scientists at the compound was a biochemist and took me under his wing. He taught me many, many things. I also read any book on chemistry and botany I could get my hands on. I would like to continue my education here. Will you tutor me?"

He turned back to his experiment. "I am far too busy. I can make suggestions of others who can instruct you."

"But I want you." She changed tactics. "I make you deal…I make you dinner and you let me stay with you in lab for rest of day."

"Hmmm…And you will stay out of my way?"

" _Da_."

"Okay, deal." They shook hands.

Sonya trotted off towards the kitchen. She touched the counter with her bare hand to get a reading on where everything was located, then started opening cabinets and pulling out ingredients. Soon she had a nice lentil soup with onions, pasta and carrots bubbling on the stove. After a few minutes, she started pulling the makings for turkey sandwiches out of the refrigerator. She hummed as she worked.

"Something smells wonderful!" a woman with long red hair in jeans and a plain green T-shirt exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. Sonya glanced up, but continued making sandwiches.

" _Multumesc_. Sorry…Romanian. Thank you. I…was thinking of home. I'm making lentil soup from some stuff I found. It's almost ready. You are welcome to some. I have made plenty."

"Thanks. Thinking of home, huh? I do that a lot, too." The woman watched Sonya as she worked. "So, you must be the new recruit. The clairvoyant. Sonya, isn't it?"

" _Da_. Sonya Pavlovich."

"Well, welcome, Sonya. I'm Angelica. Angelica Jones. Codename Firestar.

"If you don't mind my asking, how old were you when you were taken from your home?"

"Sixteen."

"So young..."

" _Da_."

"So, your powers weren't developed enough to warn you?"

" _Nu_ , I knew Koulakova was coming."

"And you let him take you?"

" _Da_. My options basically were to run and leave my family at his mercy, uproot them and force them to go on the run too or go with Koulakova."

"So, you chose to save your family?"

" _Da_. You do what you have to do." Sonya changed subjects. "So tell me, the X-Men do not dine together?"

"No. Everyone is so busy and doing their own thing. It's hard to get everyone together."

"Hmm…Still could be good to get the team together informally once in a while, _nu_?"

"Probably."

A small girl who appeared to be about five with violet skin and short bushy violet hair carrying a large stuffed rabbit entered the kitchen. "Annabelle!" Angelica called her.

"I was looking for cookie," the little girl said sheepishly.

"Did you eat all your dinner?" Angelica asked.

"Yes."

"Okay." Angelica reached into a cabinet and retrieved a bag of animal crackers. She pulled out three cookies and handed them to the little girl.

"Thank you, Miss Angel." She walked up to Sonya and looked up at her with large pale yellow quizzical eyes. "Who are you?"

Sonya bent down so that their faces were closer together. "My name is Sonya. I'm new here."

"Do you like cookies, Miss Sonya?" the girl asked.

" _Da_ …Yes." The girl just turned and walked back out the door dragging the rabbit behind her. Sonya shrugged and resumed her work.

"That's Annabelle. Or at least that's what we call her. No one can pronounce her real name. She's from another planet. She was kidnapped by space pirates who killed her family. Nightcrawler rescued her and brought her back here. She's allergic to some Earth foods, so we have to be careful what we give her."

"Wow! Beings from other planets. Beings from other dimensions. This place is odd."

"Yeah. I'm still pretty new and getting used to it myself. Or maybe you never get used to it."

Sonya started ladling soup into bowls. She handed the first one to Angelica. "This is fantastic!" Angelica exclaimed after tasting it.

"I hope so. I'm about to find out if the stomach truly is the way to a man's heart…or at least his lab." Sonya picked up a tray with two bowls of soup and several sandwiches.

"Lab?"

"I'm making dinner for Dr. McCoy, so he will let me join him in his lab."

"Good luck with that! He doesn't like anyone in his lab. Thanks for the soup!" Angelica called after her. She took another bite. " _Mmm…I should talk to Bobby. Maybe we could have a cookout or something to welcome Sonya. Sure wouldn't want to lose a cook this good_ …" she thought to herself.

Hank perked up immediately when Sonya entered the lab. "That smells wonderful," he said turning around to see what she had made. She put the tray down in front of him and took one of the bowls of soup.

"The sandwiches are all yours." She took a seat at a table near him. He inhaled the food. She was concerned he would choke on it, but he didn't.

"That was wonderful. You can stay…for now," he declared. He went back to the project he had been working on before she came in. She watched him as he worked while she enjoyed her soup. Once she was done, she placed the empty bowl back on the tray with the other empty dishes. She walked to another table across the room and picked up a small red notebook.

"Where's that notebook?" Hank mumbled, looking around. She handed him the book in her hand. She picked up the empty coffee cup at his elbow, filled it and replaced it. He barely noticed. She walked around the room examining all the equipment again. She picked up a vial of clear liquid, studied it, then placed it beside him. He picked it up and looked at the label then poured it into a beaker he was holding.

"Thanks…" he muttered. She kept handing him things without him asking, watching him intensely the whole time. She didn't ask any questions or interrupt him; she just shadowed him silently, assisting him without him really noticing. For this first day at least, she would be a ghost. About 10PM, she poured him another cup of coffee, picked up the tray of dirty dishes and slipped silently out of the lab.


	3. Chapter 3: The Ties That Bind

The next morning Sonya got up early and went to the kitchen. She mixed up and baked blueberry muffins. While waiting for them to cook, she chopped up some fruit. Once everything was done, she divided some of the muffins between two tins and the fruit between two plastic containers. She grabbed a bunch of bananas and stacked everything up, so she could carry it. She left the extras on the kitchen counter with a sign that said 'PLEASE TAKE'.

 _Men always have some weakness that can be exploited._

Hank's was his stomach, so her first stop was his lab. She left one of the tins of muffins and one of the containers of fruit and all, but one of the bananas beside his work area. She filled and turned on his coffee maker. On top of the tin of muffins, she left a note asking him to suggest some books for her to study.

Then, armed with the rest of the food, she headed for the practice room where Kurt had said to meet him. When the instructor entered the room, he found his student sitting cross-legged on the floor eating a banana with more food stacked beside her.

He enjoyed a muffin while his apprentice suited up in the protective gear for her lesson. After a long and grueling introduction to fencing, Sonya headed back to Hank's lab. She found it empty, but her note had been moved and all the food was gone. She picked up the piece of paper and flipped it over. On the back, the names of several books were scribbled in beautiful cursive writing. At the bottom of the page was a message that read: P.S. I know what you are trying to do. She smiled slyly.

 _Of course you do. You are genius. But, I also know what I am doing, dear doctor._

She picked up the empty dishes and headed for the kitchen.

* * *

Angelica talked Ororo into having a cookout that Friday to welcome Sonya to America. She then enlisted Bobby to help plan the event. They decided to go with all American food: hamburgers, hot dogs, apple pie, etc. Angelica and Bobby did all the shopping and preparation. They made all the X-Men promise to attend even Hank.

When the night arrived, everyone showed up. Since the weather was pleasant, they set up outside on the back patio. Bobby was in charge of the grilling, assisted by Warren Worthington III AKA Angel. Angelica and Rachel put out all the trimmings. Santo Vaccarro AKA Rockslide brought an I-Pod and speakers and blared music for the crowd. Everyone was relaxed and chatted pleasantly amongst themselves. They all seemed to be enjoying the comradery, even Jean-Paul, who normally only enjoyed his own company. After eating, some of the group got up and danced.

Bobby strolled up to Sonya and asked her to dance.

" _Nu_ , _nu_ , I don't know your American dances."

"Come on, you're the guest of honor."

" _Nu_. Besides I hear Warbird has her eye on you and I don't want to have to sleep with both of mine open."

"Warbird and I are _not_ an item!"

Sonya gave him an I-don't-believe-you look. He stomped off and asked Angelica to dance. She accepted his offer.

Kurt approached Sonya next as she arose from her seat. "Will you dance with me? The folk dances of our countries should be similar."

" _Nu_ , I need to start cleaning up." She reached for a dirty plate.

"Plenty of time for cleaning up." He caught her hand before it reached its destination.

" _Nu_ , I don't dance." She pulled her hand from his grip, turned and carried some dishes into the house.

He watched as she walked away, shrugged then asked Ororo for a dance. Soon just about everyone was dancing, smiling and laughing.

"We should do this more often," Ororo said in between songs.

"Why don't we do it every Friday night?" Angelica asked.

"We could prepare foods from each of the countries represented by the X-Men," Hank suggested.

"Yeah, we could all pitch in. Maybe Sonya can help. She's a really good cook," Angelica stated.

"Maybe it will make her feel more part of the team," Kurt stated.

"Great! We can call it International Food Fridays!" Bobby proposed.

"Works for me," Ororo agreed.

* * *

Since Sonya's initial session in the Danger Room had been solo, Hank devised a scenario to test how well she worked with a small contingency of teammates. The chosen group of colleagues was Angelica Jones, Piotr Rasputin and Santo Vaccarro. The choice of the others was not random. Angelica was still new to the X-Men, Piotr had recently gone through a personal crisis during a confrontation with the Juggernaut and Santo kept stowing away and crashing missions. The doctor left Kurt to monitor the test.

The four combatants stood on the floor of the Danger Room in a semicircle waiting for the simulation to begin. Angelica and Santo stood between Sonya and Piotr. Sonya was again attired in a training uniform while the others wore their unique costumes.

The object of the test, Kurt informed them, was to incapacitate all opponents without any teammate being taken out. He pressed the button to bring up the simulation. The room suddenly changed to the landscape of a barren, desert planet. In the distance was an adobe type village with earthen structures. Two suns—one red and the other yellow—blazed in the sky above. A small spaceship was parked near the waiting mutants. Its rear hatch was open and slim metal robots were streaming out of it.

 _Hmm…Henry must be watching old sci-fi movies again._ Kurt looked down to check the team's outfits. Nein _, no space suits._

Once the simulation started, Piotr immediately changed to metal form and ran towards the robots advancing on the team. Angelica took to the air and attacked several of the front machines with her microwave radiation powers. Santo—being made of stone and indestructible—took his usual tact—pure brute force and no finesse. Sonya hung back and reached out with her powers, sifting through possible future actions of all present. With so many moving parts, it was like trying to navigate a maze that was constantly changing. She hesitated for a few seconds, then took off at a full run after the others. She drew one of her daggers and threw it without slowing her pace at the nearest opponent…just as Piotr stepped between her and her target. The dagger clanged as it bounced off Colossus' back. It then fell to the ground and was half buried in the sand.

Piotr hit the robot Sonya had aimed for, then turned to glare at her. Suddenly, she was back in Russia and Piotr's face morphed into Daniil's. Her blood turned to ice and she tripped over something on the ground. As she got up, one of the robots grabbed her around the chest and abdomen and squeezed. She tried to breath, but found it difficult. The grip around her body continued to tightened.

Kurt hit the button to end the simulation. Once the opponent holding Sonya dissipated, she collapsed on the floor. She rubbed her sore ribs.

Piotr reverted to flesh and stepped towards her. He offered his hand to help her up, but she recoiled. She stared up at him, uncertain, as if he were a mirage. The face she saw this time was Piotr's, not Daniil's.

"I'm fine," she told him through clenched teeth. She rejected his help and scrambled to her feet. Giving him a wide berth, she walked to her fallen dagger. She picked it up and placed it back in its sheath. She stood aloof with her back to the others.

Angelica landed beside Piotr. They all looked at the lone girl.

Kurt hit a few buttons to reset the simulation. His voice broke the eerie silence. "Okay, let's start again. This time, act as a team," he commanded over the intercom. He pressed a button and the test restarted.

Piotr reverted to metal form and started towards the robots. Angelica returned to the sky and Santo started smashing anything in his path. Sonya took a deep breath and reached out with her powers again. She concentrated on the nearest opponent, ignoring everything else. Once she saw a clear move, she ran towards her opponent and hit it with a flying kick. She then continued to punch the target over and over until her knuckles were bloody. When she finally looked around, she found her teammates had taken down all of the other robots.

"Much better," Kurt praised. He hit the button to unlock the Danger Room's door. "Sonya, please, remain. Santo, Angelica, Piotr, well done. You may take your leave."

After the others filed out, Kurt looked down at the woman standing alone in the huge, empty metal room. He doubted she would tell him what was going on in her head if he simply asked. She had been fairly open that first day, but since had become guarded and reserved. She kept mostly to herself except when training or in the lab with Hank. The doctor seemed to be her only confidant.

 _How am I going to get her to open up to me_?

His thoughts turned to one of the school's notoriously difficult students, his recently deceased friend James "Logan" Howlett AKA Wolverine. _What would Logan do?_ he asked himself. An idea came to him, but not one he cared for. He would try talking to her first, then the other tactic if that didn't work. " _Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."_

He teleported in front of the waiting girl. She stood with her legs shoulder length apart and hands clasped behind her back. Her face disguised any emotion she was feeling. She stared straight ahead, her head slightly raised. He noticed every muscle in her body was taut.

"The session did not go well for you today," he started. He was met with silence. "What happened?"

"I was off my game." She did not look at him.

"Why?"

She just shook her head slightly.

He sighed. _Plan B, it is_.

"Program Nightcrawler 4," he called out. The room changed to the school's gymnasium. He and Sonya were suddenly holding epees, but these were not training blades with the blunt tips and they were not wearing masks or jackets.

" _En garde_!" he yelled. He didn't give her time to react, but lunged immediately. She barely had time to lift her blade to block his attack.

"What are you doing?" she howled. "I've only had three lessons!"

 _Got to keep her from thinking. Keep her off balance._

He remained silent and kept up his attack. She tried to channel his skill with the blade, but she was hurt and already tired. She attempted to match each of his lunges, but had no choice except to retreat further and further back. He pushed her until he had pinned her against a wall. He placed one arm across her sore chest, his blade dangerously close to her throat. His face was mere inches from hers. He felt her labored breath. He stared hard into those emerald eyes. He caught the scent of wild roses.

"What happened today?" he demanded again not letting her move.

The look on his face and the ferocity of his attack chilled her to the bone. Was this the same man who had rescued her and had so patiently instructed her in the art of fencing? He always seemed so compassionate, so gentle, so…charming. The man before her now was terrifying.

"I—I'm used to working a—alone," she stammered.

He cocked his headed slightly. "You were able to handle four attackers just fine during your first Danger Room session. Why not this time?"

"Those attackers were not real. There was only one real opponent—the man who had programmed the simulation. And the simulation was…predictable."

He withdrew his blade and released her. She wheeled around putting him between her and the wall. She raised her blade, waiting for any sign of a new attack. With lightning speed, he renewed his advance, pushing her towards the far wall.

"So…having so many combatants in the room confused you?"

" _Da_. Too many variables, too many possibilities. It was hard to make a decision." She was in pain and growing sloppy. She was barely able to block his blade.

"We can work on that…but I believe there was something else bothering you."

She knew they were getting close to the other wall, so she drew one of her daggers. She swung wildly at his chest. He easily dodged the weapon. He grabbed the hand that held the dagger with his tail and jerked it violently. The dagger flew a few feet and stuck in the floor.

She swung her epee at his legs. He jumped into the air, evading her blade effortlessly, too. She felt her back against the wall again. She went limp, her weapon at her side.

"You see Daniil when you look at Peter, don't you?" He didn't hold her against the wall this time, but allowed her to rest against it. He held his weapon at his side since she seemed to have lost the will to fight.

She turned her face away from his and squeezed her eyes shut. "Piotr is not Danill!"

"That's right! You need to realize that, to believe that. Peter is one of the good guys. You can't blame him for what that… _animal_ did to you." His voice and demeanor softened with each new word.

Her head snapped back to glare at him. Her face was drenched in sweat. Her eyes flashed with anger. She threw down her epee. "Who's the animal now?" She spit the words at him. She pushed hard against his chest with both hands knocking him away from her. "And don't try to psychoanalyze me! You might not like what you learn!"

"End program!" he shouted. The weapons and fencing gear disappeared. She stormed out of the room.

He watched her leave with a growing sickness in his stomach for what he had done. He walked to Sonya's forgotten dagger and picked it up. He looked at it for a moment balanced perfectly on the palm of his hand. He then looked skyward. _Well, I took a page from your rule book, Logan. I hope it was the right thing to do. I hope she will find it in her heart to forgive me. I guess only time will tell. But, as you told me many times, some people will only tell you the truth when they are up against a wall. I wish you were here, old friend, to give me more advice. I fear this woman will tax me to my limit._

* * *

Sonya entered the women's locker room and punched the nearest wall, reigniting the pain in her hand. She slumped with her back against the wall and breathed deeply trying to slow her heart rate and reign in her rage.

Once she was calmer, she washed and wrapped her bloody hand. She removed the training uniform and replaced it with her jeans and white embroidered shirt, not bothering to tuck it into her pants. She pulled her belt tightly around her waist and tied it, ignoring the fact that she had left one of her daggers on the Danger Room floor. She wasn't about to retrieve it at that moment. She decided she needed some fresh air and headed for the nearest exit.

She walked in no general direction once she got outside. She just meandered around the school's grounds, breathing in the crisp air and listening to the sounds of life around her. She stopped when she came across a statue of Nightcrawler placed reverently under a willow tree. She sat down cross-legged on the grass in front of it. The blue and furry mutant was immortalized in a heroic stance with a sword in his hand. She traced every inch of it with her eyes.

There were several other statues of X-Men on the grounds that she was aware of: one of founder Charles Xavier, one of the school's namesake Jean Grey and one of Wolverine. All of these people she knew to be deceased from her studies of the X-Men's databases.

 _Why is there a memorial to Nightcrawler?_ She continued to study the statue, especially the noble face. A face very unlike the one he had just shown her. _What is it about this man? Why is my future tied to his? Why can't I just go home and have a quiet life?_

Her thoughts suddenly took a dark spiral _. Will there one day be a statue of me on the grounds of the school? Perhaps placed reverently beside this one? Forever linked to him even after death? And where in a school populated mostly by minors, can a girl get a strong drink?_

* * *

The next day, Sonya was in route from the school's library to her dormitory room, arms full of the chemistry, biology and botany books that Hank had recommended along with a copy of the Unabridged William Shakespeare when she passed one of the school's shared living areas. She could just hear the TV which was stopped on a news channel. Catching a snippet of a story, she stopped to listen.

"son of millionaire Paul Hammond was kidnapped from a department store today…" She stepped into the room so she could hear better.

There were a couple of students scattered across the couches and chairs in the room, so she stood in the doorway. On the TV screen was a picture of a young boy. He looked about seven years old with short blond hair, big blue eyes and rosy cheeks. Beside the picture of the boy was a photo of a thirty-something man who the boy resembled. The name Paul Hammond was printed under the man's picture.

"The boy's nanny has been taken in for questioning. The family has gathered at the Hammond compound..." The picture changed to a large mansion with a half a dozen very expensive cars in parked in front of it.

"Anyone with information should contact…"

She resumed the journey to her room. Once there, she dropped the books on the bed then headed for Kurt's room. She knocked on the door and waited. She was about to knock again when the door opened. Kurt was wearing only dark sweatpants and a towel around his neck. His hair and fur were damp.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Were you taking a shower?"

"I was just drying off." He seemed surprised to see her.

"I—I'll come back in a few minutes." She turned it leave.

" _Nein_ , come in. I've been wanting to talk to you. I'll get a shirt." He opened the door wide and allowed her to enter. She took a few steps into the room. He left the door open and strolled to the bedroom to find a shirt. She watched him as he moved away from her.

 _So, those gorgeous chest, arms, back and shoulders are all covered in fur. Wonder what else is…_

She forced her eyes from his chiseled form.

 _Nu, he is mentor only. Emotional attachment is liability. Plus, he tried to kill me yesterday._

She scanned the room. Kurt had been given the loft as his quarters. It was comprised of several living areas: a bedroom which Sonya could not see very well since Kurt had left the door only slightly ajar when he entered, a small kitchen with all the amenities plus a bar with barstools and a large open area with a couch, several chairs, tables and large TV. Above the couch, Sonya observed two enormous posters of Kurt with other uniformed superheroes. The one on the left was of the X-Men; the other appeared to be a team in Britain. Some of the superheroes she recognized; some she did not. Two swords flanked the posters. Other framed pictures and baubles were scattered about the room. Various metal hoops and bars hung from the ceiling. The quarters had a very comfortable feel to it. The headmistress clearly favored her indigo professor.

Two bamfs appeared in a cloud of smoke on the couch before her.

"Bamf!" one of them said

" _Bună ziua_ , little ones," she told the bamfs.

"Actually, I'm just here to borrow a bamf or two," she called in the direction of the bedroom. Kurt reentered the room wearing a tight black T-shirt with a small red 'X' in a circle on the right breast and left sleeve. He used the towel still draped around his neck to dry his hair.

"Borrow a bamf?" he asked puzzled. "What are you up to?"

"May I turn on your TV?"

"Certainly."

She walked to the table in front of the couch and picked up the TV remote. She hit the power button and changed channels until she found one carrying the story of the kidnapped boy. She let the news run for a moment.

"A boy has been kidnapped. I think I can help." She hit the power button again. "The bamfs can take me to the boy's home and if I can find something he has touched, I can locate him."

"I'll take you."

" _Nu_ , I don't want to involve the X-Men."

"If you're involved, the X-Men are involved. Let me get some shoes." He left and came back with dark athletic shoes on and minus the towel. "Show me the way…"

She pulled the cellphone from her pocket and showed him the image of the mansion from the news report. He touched her arm and a second later they stood before the gates of the house.

"Bamf!"

They turned around to find the two bamfs behind them.

Sonya bent down to look them in their glowing yellow eyes. "Well, since you tagged along, let's put you to work. Find me something that the belongs to the boy, a toy or something. But, don't be seen or caught." She straightened back up.

"Whiskey!" one of them said before they both disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

They were now alone. Kurt turned to her. "Sonya, I want to apologize for yesterday."

She didn't look at him. "No need." Her voice was flat.

The bamfs reappeared before either could say anything else. One carried a small ball. It handed the toy to Sonya.

"Good job!" she praised them. She took off a glove and placed the ball on her bare palm. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the boy.

"I see…a house…There's a number by the front door…353. I see three men inside…and the boy! He is scared but safe. Need an address…ughn…come on, come on…wait! Address…on…bill…353 Willow Lane." She opened her eyes. She stumbled and her hand went to her head. Kurt grabbed her shoulder to steady her.

"You okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"So what's the plan? Go to the police?"

" _Da_ , but not directly." She held up her cellphone. On the screen was a corner convenience store with a pay phone in an alley by its side.

"As you wish…" A thought from him and they were in front of the pay phone. The bamfs followed a second later. She closed her eyes again and was still. "What is it?" he asked.

"Need to wait…If police go now, the boy will be hurt. Need…to wait…three minutes." She came out of the trance. "Two of the kidnappers are about to leave. If we wait, the police can catch the two men in their car and free the boy safely."

"Okay, we wait…"

She threw the ball to one of the bamfs to occupy them. She rummaged around in her pocket and pulled out a quarter. She stepped into the phone booth while Kurt watched the bamfs throwing the ball back and forth.

"Twelve…eleven…" She dialed the first digits of the cell phone number of the detective in charge of the Hammond case. "Six...five…four…three…two…one." She dialed the last number.

Detective Rueben Arnold's phone rang. He hit the answer button. "Yeah?" he said into the receiver.

"I can tell you where Hammond boy is. You can bring him home safe," Sonya's voice came over the phone.

"Who is this?"

"I don't matter. The boy is being held in a house at 353 Willow Lane. Leave now and you can catch two of the men in a white truck headed south from the house. That will leave one man in house with boy. You can surround them and save boy." She hung up and stepped outside the booth. "Is done," she informed Kurt.

"Shall we go home?"

" _Da_." They teleported back to Kurt's loft. " _Multumesc_. Thank you, bamfs." She bowed to them. "And Nightcrawler." She bowed to him. She turned to leave.

"Hey, wait," he called. She turned back. "I still owe you an apology for yesterday."

"I told you, no need. I know what you were doing. Keeping me off balance and distracted to get me to talk. But know this: that tactic won't work again."

" _Gut_. I don't think I could do it again. The whole ordeal made me ill."

"You sure played the part well. Began to wonder if you would really injure me."

"I would never hurt you." There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again. "W—Would you like to watch the news here…together? See the boy get home safe."

"That would be nice. But…" She held up a finger in front of her. "I'll be right back. I need to get something."

She returned about ten minutes later with a plastic container in her hand. Kurt was sitting on the couch flipping channels on the TV. She noticed her lost dagger on the table in front of him. She sat down beside him. She opened the container to reveal it was filled with brownies.

"A special thank you for you and the bamfs. I made them this morning and hid them."

She held the treats out for him to take one. He thanked her as he picked one up. She took one for herself then put the container on the table in front of them. The bamfs descended on the treats like locust. The two mutants leaned back on the couch. Kurt kept changing channels until he located one that was breaking the news of the safe return of the boy.

The screen showed a police car with lights flashing drive up to the Hammond house where members of the family waited outside. The door of the car opened and a policewoman carrying the child exited. She handed the small boy to his mother who rushed him indoors. His father was seen shaking hands and thanking the police. The news reporter said an anonymous tip led to the capture of the kidnappers and the safe return of the boy. The family was to issue a statement later.

"I love happy endings," Kurt stated. "We make a good team."

" _Da_ , we do."

"Have you had any more visions about us? I mean, our destiny?"

" _Nu_. Just the same image, so nothing has changed. I feel more urgency with the vision now, so the time must be nearing."

"We'll be ready."

"I hope so." She rose. "Enjoy the brownies." She picked up her dagger from the table and placed it in her empty scabbard.

He stood too. He glanced at the time displayed on the TV. " _The Sea Hawk_ comes on in fifteen minutes—Errol Flynn. It has a lot of sword fighting. We could watch it together and I can point out some of the techniques and we can practice them tomorrow. I'll make popcorn…" he offered.

She thought about the books piled up on her bed. Then she thought about what Ororo had said on that first day _...you will need to learn to work together, to trust each other, so you will be ready when the time comes._

"I would like that." She sat back down on the couch.

* * *

Kurt paused the movie during one of the sword fighting scenes and made Sonya get up off the couch. He glanced at the two swords hanging above the sofa. They were razor sharp and too dangerous for practicing fencing moves. Then he remembered the two practice foils in his closet and teleported to retrieve them. With their rubber tips, they were fine for practicing without safety gear as long as they did not get too aggressive. He handed one to Sonya.

"Okay, _en garde_ position," he instructed.

She spaced her feet shoulder distance apart, left foot back and pointed at a 90-degree angle from the front foot, slightly squatting with her weight evenly distributed, right arm clutching the foil and raised at the ready. He took up a position in front of her and pressed the end of his foil near the grip against the tip of hers. He slid the foil down the length of hers, then applying a little pressure, forced her blade out of line and with a slight flick of his wrist, finished with a light touch of his blade's tip on her arm. They practiced the move a couple of times taking turns being the attacker. Then he moved on to demonstrating a circular parry.

Rachel approached Kurt's loft and saw the door open and lights on. She heard the sound of metal against metal. She cautiously poked her head in the room to see what was going on.

Kurt noticed her watching them. "We're practicing some of Errol Flynn's moves," he informed her. He continued parrying Sonya's blade with his.

"We're watching _The Sea Hawk_ ," Sonya added.

"Oh, that's a good one," Rachel said. She entered the room.

"Why don't you join us? We have popcorn and brownies," Sonya invited. She performed the __coulé__ he had demonstrated first and forced his blade to his side. She then dropped her weapon to her side and took up a relaxed stance.

"Okay."

Kurt secured both swords and laid them across the table, then he and Sonya returned to their positions on the couch. Rachel sat on the floor in front of them. Kurt started the movie again. In a few minutes Bobby strolled in.

"Hey! Brownies! I thought I smelled them this morning. You hid them, didn't you?" he asked.

" _Da_. They would have been gone in two minutes if I hadn't," Sonya retorted.

Bobby decided to join the trio even without an invitation. He took the empty chair. The room was getting full.

A short time later, Sonya stood and said she remembered something she needed to do and left. Within five minutes Piotr appeared. He was welcomed into the group. When Kurt got up to get drinks from the refrigerator for his guests, Rachel tagged along.

"Sonya still can't stand to be in the same room with Peter, huh?" she whispered.

" _Nein_. He reminds her too much of that monster Daniil. I guess it's going to take time for her to get comfortable being around Peter."

"I hope it doesn't take too long. You never know when it will come down to the two of them depending on each other during a mission."

* * *

Kurt and Sonya continued practicing some of the techniques from the movie the next day. They had been practicing about thirty minutes when Sonya called for a break. She removed her mask, took a couple of swigs from a water bottle and wiped the sweat from her face with a towel.

When she returned to him, he showed her a couple of moves in slow motion. He had her weapon up while he demonstrated.

"Parry…riposte. Parry…riposte." He moved a little faster each time.

She suddenly stiffened and went into a trance, the green tinged white aurora surrounding her eyes. When he saw her drop her weapon, he tried to arrest his strike, but couldn't stop it in time. He teleported to avoid hitting her with all his force, but wasn't quick enough. The blade's tip grazed her neck.

"Annabelle…" she said. "Allergic reaction…" The aurora disappeared and her eyes returned to green.

Kurt teleported back to her side as she returned to normal. "Sonya, are you okay? I sliced your neck. You didn't have your mask on. I couldn't stop the blade. Let me look at the wound." He tried to examine her cut, but she waved him off.

"No time. Annabelle's in trouble. Get Dr. Reyes and get her to classroom 23." She dropped her epee to the floor and took off running.

Kurt teleported to the infirmary. Fortunately, the doctor was there. "Cecilia, Annabelle is having an allergic reaction. She needs your help!"

Cecilia grabbed her bag and they teleported outside classroom 23. They found Sonya in the hall kneeling beside the violet skinned girl who was laying prone on the floor. She was going into shock.

Cecilia took an epinephrine auto injector out of her bag and injected Annabelle with the medicine. The child reacted positively within a few seconds. The doctor looked up at Kurt and told him, "I need to get her back to the infirmary."

Without a word, he picked up the child and teleported her and the doctor to the medical center. Sonya arrived a few minutes later, followed immediately by Ororo. They found Kurt waiting outside one of the patient rooms.

"How is she?" Ororo asked concerned.

"The doctor said she's going to be fine. We reached her in time—thanks to Sonya," Kurt informed her.

He noticed the wound on Sonya's neck was bleeding and picked up some gauze from a nearby tray. She accepted it and held it to the wound.

"What happened? And why are you bleeding?" Ororo demanded looking at Sonya.

"Annabelle had an allergic reaction to something," the other woman answered.

Ororo turned back to Kurt as he spoke. "And Sonya and I had…a fencing mishap." He looked sheepish during the last part of the sentence and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Hmmm…" Ororo gave him a stern look. "How could Annabelle get a hold of something she is allergic to? We are careful with what she eats."

"I'm afraid it wasn't an accident," Sonya spoke up.

"What? Who?" the headmistress demanded.

"Two of the boys."

"Which ones?"

Sonya hesitated. "One will be in your office in about ten minutes."

"You will not tell me who?" Ororo was growing angry.

"They will reveal themselves."

Ororo sighed. "Why is everyone so… _difficult_? Why can't we work together?"

"I'm not trying to be difficult. I just think it is better for the boys to turn themselves in."

"Fine. I suppose I'd better go wait in my office for the culprits. And come up with a suitable punishment. Keep me informed of Annabelle's condition. And take more care the next time you two are fencing!" She left still peeved.

Kurt placed his hand over the one Sonya was using to press the gauze to her neck and pulled it back to reveal the wound. The bleeding had almost stopped. There was a gash about two inches long horizontally across the right side of her throat.

"Sonya, I'm sorry. I couldn't stop the blade when you tranced."

"I've had far worse. I'll be fine." She threw the gauze in a trash receptor.

"But…I could have really hurt you. You are vulnerable when you trance. We will have to be more careful. I should have made you put your mask back on."

"You are too much of a worrier. We cannot die yet. We have destiny." She moved away from him and knocked on the door of Annabelle's room. The doctor opened it.

"May I see her?" Sonya asked.

"Yes, come in. She wants to see you." The doctor allowed them in. The girl was in the bed, but was alert.

"Miss Sonya! You saved me!" the girl exclaimed when she saw the raven haired woman.

Sonya sat down on the bed next to the child. "I just alerted the doctor and Mr. Wagner to your problem. They did all the work."

The child sat up and hugged the woman.

"Thank you, Miss Sonya! I love you!"

"I…care about you, too, Annabelle." The intimacy of the moment clearly made her uncomfortable and she awkwardly patted the girl's back.


	4. Chapter 4: No Time Like the Present

Later that day, Sonya was summoned to Ororo's office. She wanted to discuss some things with the headmistress anyway, so she made her way directly to the office. She found Ororo seated at her desk reviewing some papers spread out in front of her.

"Ma'am," she said quietly when she entered the room. Ororo glanced up and gestured for her to take the seat on the opposite side of the desk. She did as indicated. Ororo noticed she now sported a large white bandage across her neck.

"Sonya," Ororo started. She rose and walked to the office's large window. She stood looking out over the school grounds for a moment before continuing. "I want you to know that I am not mad with you for not telling me who sickened Annabelle."

Sonya stared down at the desk before her. Ororo turned her gaze to the other woman.

"They have turned themselves in and I have sentenced them to kitchen duty until better punishment can be decided." Sonya still did not meet her gaze. "A punishment that _you_ will decide."

Sonya's eyes now rose to meet Ororo's. " _Ce_? I am hardly qualified to mete out punishment to children."

"You are the one that saved Annabelle's life. You clearly care for the child. That makes you qualified."

"But…I…" She didn't know what to say.

"I will give you three days to come up with something suitable." There was a short pause. "I also want you to teach a class."

Sonya stood up. She placed her fists on the desk. "Teach a class? On what? I'm definitely not qualified to be a teacher!"

"I'm sure you will think of something."

Sonya fumed in silence. _Come up with punishment for bad children and teach a class in something?!_ Dumnezeule _! Why did I agree to come to this place?_

"I think teaching a class will help you fit in…feel more a part of the team."

Sonya crossed her arms over her chest and paced the floor. Ororo watched as she walked back and forth. After a short period of mulling over options and coming to the conclusion that she had no choice, she reluctantly agreed. "But, there is something I need from you."

"Yes?"

"I need some botanicals for my experiments."

"Something we do not already have in our greenhouses?"

" _Da_. The plants I need are dangerous. I will require a secure greenhouse for their cultivation."

"We'll have to see if there is money in the budget."

"There is, or will be. I can help with that. Using my powers, I can invest in some stocks and raise the money."

"I think the SEC would frown on that."

"The account will not be in my name and they will not be able to trace it to me or my powers."

"And if I say no?"

"I will make the money for my projects somehow. I do not want to take the school's limited funds."

"Very well, but I do not want to know. Plausible deniability."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Sonya turned to leave.

"Oh, one more thing…" Sonya stopped in her tracks. "You need to learn to work with Colossus."

 _She's been talking to Nightcrawler_. She left the office fuming.

* * *

She was still peeved when she walked into Hank's lab. She grabbed one of the lab coats from the hooks by the door and pulled it on. She sat down on one of the empty stools and laid her head down on the table in front of her. She softly beat her head against the hard surface.

Hank watched for a moment, then rolled his chair over to her side. "No greenhouse?" he asked.

Sonya raised her head and rested her elbows on the table, covering her face with her hands. " _Nu_ , I got the greenhouse, but I fear the price is too high."

"Oh?"

"She wants me to devise a punishment for the boys that put chocolate powder in Annabelle's yogurt _and_ teach a class!"

"Hmm…what class?"

"Whatever I want. She thinks it will help me be a better team player."

"Seems reasonable."

"' _Et tu, Brute_?'" She gave him a sideways look between spread fingers.

"Shakespeare?"

She dropped her hands and looked straight ahead. She looked miserable. " _Da_. I've been reading it so I can understand Nightcrawler's references."

"The man does like his Shakespeare…and Bible verses."

"Those, at least, I can understand."

The furry scientist rolled his chair back to where he had been working and picked up a laptop. He pressed a few keys on the keyboard then rolled back to Sonya's side. "Here." He laid the computer in front of her. The screen displayed a CAD program for architectural structures. "Design your dream greenhouse. That should cheer you up." He rolled back to his workstation.

"Thank you, Dr. McCoy."

"Henry or Hank, please."

"You know I will never be able to call you that."

"Suit yourself."

Sonya stared at the computer screen. _A blank page to cover with whatever I want. How fitting._

* * *

Sonya sat on her bed using a laptop she had checked out of the school's library to search the internet for flora to put in her greenhouse once it was built. She found that some interesting plants grew wild in the _Gaspésie National Park_ in Quebec, not far from the school, that is, not far when one had a Blackbird.

 _I wonder if I can wrangle someone into taking me to this park to dig up specimens?_

A memory shoved its way into her mind. One that she had not thought about in a long, long time.

The events had taken place not long after Koulakova had taken her from her home. He had devised a diabolical test of her powers and strength. He dropped her in the remote Siberian wilderness and told her to be at a certain valley in three days for extraction or be left in the isolated wilderness for good.

She had been so frightened and alone. She knew nothing of wilderness survival and there was no one for miles to help her. Koulakova had left her nothing—no food or water, map or shelter, nothing, but a small knife. She had walked for miles that first day eating berries and other plants she found along the way, using her powers to ensure they were edible. She had located safe drinking water and created shelter for the night out of tree branches and leaf litter. She had been so exhausted that night that she had not cared if she lived or died. She began to wonder if she would ever see another living soul again. She cried herself to sleep, shivering on the forest floor. That sleep had been fitful and she snapped awake at the smallest sound. The remaining days and night were pretty much the same. She trudged through the thick woods soaked in sweat, mud and fear.

On the last night a grizzly bear had approached her shelter. She had been terrified. A tiny girl of only sixteen left to fend for herself against a six-hundred-pound bear. She had had no combat training at that point; she knew she stood no chance against the beast. She sat in the cold and dark desperately trying to stop her shivering which was causing her shelter to shake and rattle. She clutched her small weapon to her chest, praying the bear would pass her by. She could hear the animal sniffing all around outside her small hut of branches. She imagined she felt its hot breath through the leaves. The bear had finally moved on after what felt like a lifetime. The next day, she reached the extraction point and was picked up by Daniil and returned to her prison.

 _An experience like that would definitely straighten out the two boys that hurt Annabelle, but Storm would never allow it._

She packed the memory back into the depths of her mind and continued her research.

* * *

The following week was Fall Break—a week for the students to relax, have a break from classes and visit friends and family, but the two boys who made Annabelle ill had earned an all-expense paid survival training excursion with Sonya.

Ororo had insisted Piotr pilot the Blackbird that would carry Sonya, Tom Bennet and Rene Pagenaud to the drop site she had selected for the training exercise. Sonya sat in the back with the French national Rene and Tom rode co-pilot beside Piotr. The forty-five-minute flight was without conversation.

After landing in a clearing and unloading their scant supplies, Piotr left his three passengers alone in the woods. Sonya dropped the backpack she carried on the ground. She removed her communicator from her ear and put it in a zippered pocket of her jacket. She grabbed a large duffle bag and unzipped it. She pulled out a tent and began setting it up.

Tom looked at the rest of the supplies—one additional duffle bag. "Where's our tents?" he asked snidely. The boy was sixteen, tall and built like a linebacker with short brown hair he liked to gel and stand straight up in a hair style that was so popular with boys his age. His brown eyes flashed with contempt. He wore khakis, a Boston Bruins sweatshirt, sneakers, a quilted down jacket and thick gloves. Needless to say, he was from Boston and money. His mutant ability was to control fire.

Sonya on the other hand was outfitted in brown denim pants, hiking boots, a cotton long sleeve turtle neck under a fleece ¼ zip pullover and black leather gloves. Her long hair was braided down her back and topped with a faux fur lined hat with ear flaps that were currently folded up. Her jacket was a well-worn, fitted leather number. She had modified two thigh holsters to hold her throwing daggers and wore them like a gunslinger.

"You two are being punished. You do not get tent."

"You expect us to sleep on the ground?"

" _Da_. Builds character."

"Why do you get a tent?" Rene asked. By contrast, this sixteen-year-old was tall and thin with pale skin and acne. His sandy brown hair was shaggy and fell to his shoulders. His eyes were golden and normally turned to the ground. He always seemed to be a step behind the larger boy. His clothing was similar to Tom's except his sweatshirt was plain grey and he had an "I heart NY" baseball cap turned backwards on his head. His mutant ability was make his body glow.

"I do not need to learn how to survive."

"And what about extra clothes? I'm sure you brought some. No woman can make it four days without a change of clothes," Tom continued.

 _Keep it up, chum, and you will be cleaning dirt from my boot out from between your pretty white teeth._

Outwardly, she ignored him.

"So what is in this duffle bag." He kicked it with his foot.

"Emergency supplies."

"Food? Cause I'm hungry." He moved to open the bag.

She finished with the tent and stood up. She wiped her hands against each other to remove some loose bits of nature from her gloves. "There is no food in there." He dropped the duffle bag. She walked to her backpack and opened it. She pulled out a small plastic bag. "We will have to find our food."

"Now, empty your pockets and put contents in this bag." She held it open in front of the two young men.

"Why?" Tom asked.

"Because I need more possessions." She shook the bag.

Rene pulled out a cellphone, a candy bar, some loose money totaling a little over thirty dollars and a pack of gum. He placed his belongings in the bag. Tom pulled out a phone, a wallet, a pen, a lighter and two candy bars. He reluctantly placed everything, but the lighter in the bag.

"You won't need that. I will teach you to make fire without it."

He glared at the woman, but dropped the lighter into the bag.

"Good. The candy bars will have to go. Don't want to attract bear." She pulled them out and placed them in one of her jacket pockets.

"Hey! You're just going to eat them!" Tom protested.

"Probably." She pulled two Swiss Army knives from another pocket of her jacket. They were not the most loaded models, but they contained everything the boys would need for the week. And they were more than Koulakova had given her. She gave one knife to Rene and the other to Tom.

"What are these for?" Tom asked.

"Your survival."

Tom opened the largest blade of his knife. He brought it close to his face and studied it. The edge was very, very sharp. "What if I just stab you with this, take your com and call Colossus back to pick us up?" He pointed the knife menacingly at the woman. Rene stared at him in horror.

The woman laughed. "Then I will take knife from you and you will be very hungry by time we leave." She stood calmly with her hands on her hips.

Tom looked at the daggers at her sides. He closed the knife and stuck it in a pocket. "Fine. So where do we find this food?"

Sonya slung her backpack over a shoulder and started into the woods. The boys followed. The forest was thick and the ground uneven. They were battered by low hanging branches and brambles. She explained she was following an animal trail that should lead to water. She showed them some tracks on the faint trail and stated they were made by deer. She pointed out edible plants along the way calling them by their Latin and common names. The guys only listened half-heartedly.

She stopped abruptly. " _Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_ ," she told them pointing to a ground level bush with bright red berries. She bent down and picked one of the fruit. "Bearberry. Don't eat too many or they can make you sick." She popped the berry into her mouth.

 _I wish it was wild strawberry season._

The boys sat down on the ground and started eating berries. She looked around while they ate. She removed the backpack from her shoulder and opened it. She pulled out a small trowel and plastic plant pot. She bent down and dug up a small plant nearby. She placed it and some extra dirt into the pot.

" _Sanguinaria canadensis._ Bloodroot. The red sap is poisonous." she announced. She admired her find.

The boys were bored and still hungry after eating the bearberries, so carrying her new treasure, she led on. Ten minutes later the sound of rushing water reached their ears. A minute later and they were standing on a river bank. The river was shallow with a gentle current in front of them. Fish could be seen in the clear water.

Sonya picked up a small branch that had fallen from a nearby tree. She sat down on a rock and pulled a dagger from its holster. She used it to remove growth from the branch, so when done, it was one long, semi-straight stick. She then started sharping one end.

Rene picked up a similar branch and using his new knife, cleaned up his stick and started sharping it.

"What are you doing?" Tom sat down on a rock and crossed his arms watching the other two work.

"Getting lunch," Sonya answered. "You should make one, too."

He ignored her and stared out over the water.

Once she was content with her stick, she removed her shoes and socks and rolled up her pants. She waited for Rene to finish his stick and to remove his shoes and roll his pants up. They waded into the water together near a calm pool of water the fish were using as a refuge from the river's current. Sonya held her stick aloft and watched the fish for a moment. With lightning speed, she thrust her stick into the water and pulled it back out with a fish speared on its end.

Rene tried and came up empty.

"Be patient. Watch the fish for a moment. Anticipate their movements. Then strike."

He tried again and missed.

"Keep trying."

She waded back to the shore and laid her spear with its victim on the rock on which she had been sitting. She began picking up small rocks and placing them in a circle. She checked Rene's progress as she worked. Tom remained where he was with his arms crossed.

Once she had a three-foot diameter ring of stone, she picked up branches and leaves and placed them inside the stone circle. She stopped work when she heard Rene yell. She turned to find he had speared his own fish. She waited as he made his way to shore. He proudly showed her his fish, smiling broadly.

"Very good, Rene!"

He showed his fish to Tom who was unimpressed.

She walked to a nearby tree and pulled off a large chunk of bark. She returned to her sitting rock and cut a groove lengthwise through the center of the flat side of the wood. Rene watched intently. When she finished, she placed the grooved piece of wood in her circle of stone. She propped one end up on a stone and the other lay in the leaf litter. She then picked up a small stick and placed it into the groove. She rubbed the stick quickly up and down the groove. The friction created heat and tinder. In few minutes, a fire had started.

"You are not hungry?" she asked Tom.

"Starving. But Rene will share with me." He glanced at his friend. Rene's smile faded.

" _Nu_ , he will not. If you want fish, you will catch it yourself."

Tom rose and approached the woman threateningly. He surpassed her by four inches and fifty pounds. She stood and watched his approach.

"Look you Russian b—"

"Romanian."

"What?"

"I am Romanian. If you are going to insult me, at least make it accurate."

"Whatever. I don't have to take orders from you. You are nothing! You are not even a professor at the school or a X-Man." He walked right up to her and pressed his body against hers trying to intimidate her.

Rene stood up. "Tom, don't be stupid!" he told his friend

Tom looked at him. "Shut up!" he yelled.

She sighed. Before he could react, she stuck a finger in each of his nostrils and pulled up. He grabbed for her daggers, but she deflected him and lifted his nose higher causing him to stand on tiptoes.

"Ow!" he yelled.

"I am not your enemy. Stop fighting me before I'm forced to cause you great pain." She released the boy and stepped back. He rubbed his sore nose. She picked up a long branch beside her and held it out. He grabbed it. He sat down heavily on a rock and took out his knife.

"Come, Rene. Let's cook our fish." She retrieved hers and sat down by the fire.

She showed the boy how to gut, scale and fillet the fish. She then wrapped slices of the flesh around her stick and propped it on one of the stones so the fire would cook the meat. Rene sat down beside her and did the same.

She watched Tom as he worked on his stick. In a few minutes he waded in the water and attempted to catch a fish. When she decided her lunch was cooked well enough, she removed it from the fire. She and Rene enjoyed their well-earned meal.

Soon, Tom caught a fish and joined them to cook and eat his lunch.

After everyone was full, Sonya led them back to their base camp to drop off her bloodroot. She then took them on a trek through the woods instructing them on various survival techniques and telling them all about the local flora. She picked edible plants for their dinner as they walked. She also took non-edible specimens for her greenhouse.

As the afternoon aged, she headed them back to camp. She showed them how to build lean-tos out of trees, logs and branches. They covered them with leaves and other plant material, then piled leaf litter under it to form a reasonably comfortable bed. It would be enough to keep the boys dry if it rained and keep the wind off them.

As dusk gathered, they made another fire with the help of Tom's powers and ate the plants Sonya had gathered. Once it was dark enough, she pointed out stars and constellations and told them how to use them for navigation. They each had one of the candy bars as a reward, but Sonya ensured no pieces were dropped and that the wrappers were placed in a sealable plastic bag. They were in bear country.

That night she could occasionally hear the boys talking or tossing and turning, but for the most part, the night was quiet. She slept well inside her tent with her sleeping bag.

* * *

The next day followed a similar pattern. Fish for breakfast and late lunch and plants as filler. The survival training continued with Sonya sharing more of the knowledge she had gathered in her short life. There was a sprinkling of snow that afternoon, but nothing too bad. The teenagers were tired and cold, but had stopped complaining. They had learned the dark haired woman was not sympathetic to their plight. Rene attempted a couple of times to get her to answer questions on her past, but she always found a plant or something to divert the discussion.

Late that night, a gentle rustling sound filled their campsite. The two boys slept through it., but a loud crash snapped them both awake.

"What was that?" Tom whispered.

"I—I don't know," Rene answered softly. "M—Miss Sonya?" he called hoarsely. No answer. He concentrated and his skin glowed softly. "Miss Sonya!" he called louder. There was still no answer. He got up from his bed of leaves. With a thought he increased the intensity of the light being generated by his body so he could see most of their camp. Tom stood at his side. They slowly crept towards their instructor's tent. From their vantage, everything looked okay. Rene unzipped the tent flaps and stuck his head in. The inside was trashed. The sleeping bag was ripped and the stuffing was everywhere. Torn pieces of Sonya's clothing littered the area. There was a huge hole in the side of the structure. And…red spots were on the canvas of the tent and the sleeping bag. He jerked his head out.

"I think she's been attacked," he told his friend.

They moved the side of the tent with the hole. There was more of the red substance outside the tent and the woods nearby were trampled.

"What could have done this?" Rene asked. He stared at the destruction as dread swept over his body.

"She said there were bears. Maybe one of them…"

"We have to go after her!"

"Not tonight. Even with your powers, it's too dark. We have to wait till morning."

"O—okay. I hope she's alright."

Tom used his powers to ignite the embers from the previous night's fire and they added some wood to it. They decided that one should sleep and the other keep a lookout. Rene took first lookout.

When dawn broke, Tom woke his friend. They studied the scene of Sonya's disappearance again. It looked even worse in the morning light.

"That definitely looks like blood," Rene worried.

"She probably did this herself. She's probably not even hurt. Just watching us from nearby." Tom scanned the woods around them. "Some kind of sick test. She's supposed to be clairvoyant. Wouldn't she see an attack coming? That Russian b—"

"Romanian."

"Whatever."

"Let's see if we can find her com. If it is real, we can call for help."

They searched the tent and surrounding area, but could not locate Sonya's com. They did find her backpack buried under the remnants of her sleeping bag. They rummaged through it. They found the plastic bag with their belongings. They tried their cell phones, but neither had service. Tom claimed his lighter.

"She put the com in her jacket. We're going to have to find her," Rene reasoned. "And hope she is testing us or she's not hurt too bad."

Leading from the campsite was a trail of trampled undergrowth. They followed it. Every now and then, they found what looked like blood or pieces of her clothing caught on bramble. They stopped periodically to pick and eat some of the edible plants she had taught them about. After hiking through rough terrain for an hour, the trail ended in the river.

There was a fairly shallow area near the end of the trail, so they removed their shoes and rolled up their pants and crossed there. On the other side, they sat down and put their shoes back on. There was no sign of the trail, so they rested a few minutes.

Rene went to the river's edge and drank a couple of handfuls of water.

"This is hopeless!" Tom wailed.

"Don't worry. We'll find her."

"We'll be lost in these woods forever. We should go back and wait for Colossus to return. He'll be back tomorrow at noon. He can call the X-Men for help."

"She's depending on us."

"I don't care! I'm tired and hungry and cold. I want to go back to the camp."

"Then you'll go alone. I'm going to find her!"

"And what if we do find her and there is a bear? How are we going to fight it?"

"You have your lighter. You can use your powers."

"This is such a bad idea."

Rene started along the river's edge. Tom reluctantly followed. They walked for about ten minutes. The terrain flattened in this direction and Rene decided they should try the other direction. The bear would prefer to dig its den in a hilly or mountainous area. After retracing their steps and walking several minutes in the other direction, they picked up the trail again.

After thirty more minutes of hiking, Tom noticed a growth of bearberries. He forced Rene to stop, rest and eat. As they sat eating the fruit, they heard a rustling sound approaching them. Tom took out his lighter and flicked it to create a small flame. Rene pulled his pocket knife and extended a blade. They stood frozen waiting to see what appeared through the bushes.

The undergrowth in front of them moved as a hand pushed a small bush aside. The raven haired Romanian stumbled into view. She looked a mess. The lower left side of her pants were torn and coated with blood. She had ripped pieces from her cotton shirt to wrap around the exposed leg. There was a large bloody gash at the hairline on the right side of her head. Her hair was caked in blood. Her face was covered in scratches and dirt. Her clothes were muddy.

"Miss Sonya!" Rene yelled running towards her. "Are you alright?"

"I—I think so."

The young man placed his shoulder under her arm and helped her over to where they had been sitting. He eased her to the ground. "What happened?"

"A grizzly attacked me last night."

"Aren't you clairvoyant? Didn't you see it coming?" Tom asked smugly.

" _Nu_. I can't see very far in the future and I didn't get any visions last night. My powers failed me."

"How did you get away?"

"Another bear. The first one dropped me when it encountered a rival and I managed to get away while they were fighting. I then followed the trail back to here. I see you two came to find me. Thank you."

"We were trying to find your com," Tom said.

"Yeah, I tried that." She pulled the com out of her zippered pocket. It was smashed.

"Guess we'll just have to wait for Colossus to return tomorrow," Rene remarked. He picked some of the bearberries and handed them to Sonya. "Here, eat these. Then we'll head back to camp."

The trek back was slow. Sonya was limping and unsteady. After forging the river, they stopped and the boys caught and cooked some fish. That seemed to renew their instructor and they made it back to camp by dusk.

The boys started a fire and foraged for food while Sonya opened the emergency pack and found bandages. She applied some medicinal ointment to the wound then wrapped her leg. She then applied ointment to her head wound and taped a bandage over it.

They kept the fire burning that night and slept in sifts.

* * *

Once he had landed the Blackbird in the designated clearing, Kurt lowered the rear hatch and stepped out. He was shocked by the sight that greeted him. Sonya was propped against a tree with a huge bandage covered in what appeared to be blood wrapped around her lower left leg and a large bloody bandage on the right side of her head near her hairline. Her face, hair and clothes were caked with blood. Tom and Rene were seated around a fire near her. They were all dirty and looked exhausted. Kurt teleported to Sonya's side.

" _Mein Gott_! What happened?" he asked kneeling by the woman.

"Bear attack," Tom answered. He and Rene rose.

"Quickly, let's get you aboard and home." He picked Sonya up carefully and teleported her inside the Blackbird. He sat her down on the plane's back row of seats. The boys picked up their gear and trekked to the plane.

"Are you alright? Why didn't you call for help? I could have at least brought Dr. Reyes." Kurt tried to unwrap the bandage on the woman's leg to examine the wound underneath, but she kept pulling it away.

"Broken com." She peered over his shoulder to see if the boys were aboard yet. "It's fine. It's—".

"Stop fighting me." He gave up on her leg and tried to hold her head still.

"I'm fine!" She continued to refuse his aid, bobbing her head away from his outstretched hands.

"Can't you drop the tough girl act for one minute? I need to—".

"Everything's loaded, Professor Wagner," Tom informed him.

"I'll take care of myself; you fly plane," Sonya ordered pulling away again.

Frustrated, he mumbled a "Fine" through clenched teeth and teleported to the front of the plane. He closed the hatch and checked that the two boys were buckled into seats near Sonya. He found she had also fastened her restraint.

"Miss Sonya, are you going to be okay?" Rene asked once they were enroute to the school.

"I will be fine, boys," she assured them. "But there is one more thing you must do for your punishment. You must apologize to Annabelle for your actions.

"You remember how alone and scared you felt when you realized I was gone? That is how Annabelle felt when she came to Earth. She had lost everything—her family, her home. You two at least had each other and your knives and the little bit of training I had given you. She had nothing.

"She has had to adapt to a world that is not her own. Eat foods that she is not used to. Learn new customs. She still feels isolated at times. It is very hard for her. Do you understand?"

Both boys hung their heads. Tom nodded his head slightly.

" _Oui_ ," answered Rene.

"Excellent. I know you will be good boys now. Thank you for taking care of me."

The rest of the flight was quiet as the trio rested from their ordeal. Kurt signaled ahead to Cecilia that they had a medical emergency, so she would be waiting. They made the forty-five-minute trip in just over thirty minutes. Kurt landed the plane with a little less care than normal. As soon as the engines were shut off, he teleported her to the medical center.

"So, how did it go?" asked Cecilia, her glasses flashed in the infirmary's lights as she approached her patient. Her dreadlocks which were pulled back with a barrette swayed as she walked.

"I think it worked. Tom found he is not as big a man as he thought and I don't believe Rene will follow him blindly anymore. And…I think I have decided on a class to teach," replied Sonya.

Kurt couldn't understand why the two women were so calm and unconcerned with Sonya's wounds.

"Good. So, let me see." Sonya unwrapped her leg and showed it to the doctor. She examined it and the gash on Sonya's head once she removed the bandage. "Yes, very convincing."

"What is going on? Why aren't you working on her wounds?" Kurt demanded.

"They're not real. I tried to tell you in the plane, but you were too busy freaking out. See." Sonya held her leg up for Kurt to get a good look. He could now see the gash was not real, only really good effects makeup and fake blood.

"So you faked a bear attack? Why?"

"To teach the boys responsibility and self-reliance."

"So you made them care for you while you sat back and feigned injury?"

" _Nu_. I pretended the bear took me. I left them trail to find me. Then I let them take care of me."

" _Was_?! You let two teenagers run loose in the woods?!"

"Of course not. I controlled their movements. And they were never in any danger. I kept an eye on them."

Kurt rubbed the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "And Storm was okay with this?"

" _Nu_. She would never agree to something like this."

"But, Dr. Reyes knew?"

" _Da_. She helped make the wounds look realistic."

"Whoa! Dr. McCoy is the one who created the prosthetics and whatever this is," Cecilia piped up. She stuck her finger in some of the fake blood on Sonya's leg and rubbed it between her forefinger and thumb. It had the consistency of melted gelatin and was extremely sticky. "I just provided medical journals and bandages."

"Be careful with that stuff. It didn't come off even in water. And I never asked Dr. McCoy if it was toxic."

"And no one bothered to warn me?" Kurt broke in.

"I thought Piotr was picking us up."

"He asked me to do it. So he knew?"

" _Nu_. I needed a real response from him when he arrived, so I didn't tell him. But, your reaction was more than convincing."

"Because you scared me nearly to death! I was worried you would lose part of your leg or something! I flew the plane like a madman to get you back before you went into shock!"

"Pfft! You worry too much. You think you are responsible for everyone around you. You cannot carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"So, I guess that is why God sent me you as a partner for our mystery mission."

 _Or…Satan sent you to drive me crazy_.

He teleported out of the room still fuming over the nightmare she had put him through.

"He's pretty upset with you."

Sonya shrugged. "He seems to stay that way. It seems to be our thing." She worked on reapplying the bandages she had removed. "He'll probably go straight to Storm and tell her what I did."

"Kurt? I doubt that. It's not his style."

"But he had to be the one that told her about me avoiding Piotr."

"Are you sure? Your avoidance of Peter is hardly a secret."

 _Hmm…Maybe I misjudged him._

She finished with the bandages and looked up. "So, three or four days of bed rest, doc?"

"Sounds about right."

"Thanks for your help!" She headed for her room, faking a limp.

 _Now for a nice soaking bath. It's going to take some scrubbing to get this stuff off._

* * *

While talking to Tom and Rene about Annabelle losing everything, an idea had come to Sonya. She could help the children that Kurt had saved from slavers and brought back to Earth not forget their homes and families. Using her powers, she could show them experiences from their pasts that they may have forgotten. With Hank's help, she could record the sessions and keep the memories for posterity. Hence the course "Cultural Studies" was born. Ororo decided that they would offer the class over a two-week period between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.

Since Christmas was so close and it would be the first for the off-worlders, Sonya decided to discuss it and some of the other American holidays and festivals the children would encounter. A dozen kids signed up for the class, most of them non-Terrans.

When she walked into the room the first day of class and looked at all the kids' faces, fear washed over her. She took a deep breath and introduced herself.

She started with the religious roots of Christmas. She explained that not everyone celebrated the holiday and in fact, other faiths had their own holidays, some of which coincided with Christmas. Tolerance and understanding had to be observed by the school's pupils, since many of them had experienced firsthand the prejudice and intolerance many humans have for mutants.

She then turned to the symbolism that could be seen during the holiday, both religious and secular. She talked about and played some Christmas carols. Spontaneously, she sang them one of her favorites, memorizing them with the beauty of her voice and surprising herself that she remembered the words after so long. She finished with the tradition of gift giving and helping others. She gave them a homework assignment to watch or read a version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol by the last day of class, so they could discuss it. Before she knew it, the hour was almost up. She asked if there were any questions.

A boy about ten with big green eyes, freckles and green hair raised his hand.

"Yes, Samuel?"

"Miss Sonya, what does Christmas mean to you?"

The question threw her. "Uh…well...It has been a long time since I celebrated Christmas. But before being taken from my family, we would get up very early and go to church. Then, we returned home and ate a big meal, followed by the exchange of presents. We then spent the day visiting family and friends and telling stories and singing carols.

"So, I guess, to me, Christmas is about family and friends, faith and giving. Not thinking about yourself, but thinking of others, especially those who have less than you. Any other questions?" She looked around the room at all the young faces staring at her.

"This exchanging of presents sounds interesting. Can we do that?" another boy asked. He was one of the rescued children. He was roughly the equivalent of an eleven-year-old Terran. His skin was rose colored and he had spikes instead of hair. His eyes were solid white with no discernible pupils.

"I suppose, Dai'ro. I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess we could. No one is required to participate. Just let me know if you want to opt out before next class. I will put everyone else's name in a bowl and we can draw names tomorrow."

The bell to change classes rang and her first day as an instructor was over. As the kids filed out, she breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

The second day she was much more relaxed. Hank had set up a projector that she could use to display her visions onto a large screen in front of the class by touching the glass plate on the top. She had Dai'ro sit beside the projector and held his hand.

"Think about a holiday or festival from your planet," she told the boy.

She touched the projector and an image appeared on the screen. A throng of people filled a street of a city with towering, sparking glass buildings. The people were the same species as Dai'ro. They were all dressed in brilliantly colored clothes. The streets were lined with banners also in bright colors. Everyone seemed to be happy. The crowd flowed down the street and into a large open square in the center of town. A man stood on a raised stage. His lips were moving, but there was no sound.

"Dai'ro, if I repeat the words the man is speaking, can you translate?" Sonya asked. Her visions often contained sound, but she couldn't project them. Any words had to come through her voice. She also could not translate a language she did not know.

"Yes, Miss Sonya."

She repeated the words she heard in her head which to her sounded like gibberish.

Dai'ro translated: "Welcome to our celebration of Doige! Today we celebrate the creator of all life! The one that created this world and all others! The one that protects and provides for us! Hail to Doige! Please, enjoy all of today's festivities—"

The image shifted to something that looked like a fair. People were everywhere, playing games, riding rides, laughing and enjoying themselves. The images flowed as if from the perspective of someone moving through the crowd. Maybe from Dai'ro as he walked through the scene in the past. Glimpses of two adults were seen as they stood on each side of the viewer. Perhaps these were Dai'ro's parents. For a couple of minutes, they viewed all the sights of the festival. Then the screen went black.

"I'm sorry, Dai'ro. I need to rest for a moment. Why don't you tell us about what you remember of this festival?" Sonya sat down in an empty chair behind him.

The boy talked about the experience they had just viewed for twenty minutes. His face held a sad smile the entire time.

 _Have I made a mistake making him relive this memory? Is this class a mistake?_ Sonya worried.

He finished his story and sat down.

Sonya thanked him and then called a girl to the projector. They went through the same process for one of the festivals from her planet.

The bell rang before Sonya was ready. She held the bowl of names out for each child to pick one as they left. Dai'ro hung back to be the last student out.

"Dai'ro, this memory…It did not upset you to experience it again, did it?" she asked.

"No, Ma'am. It is good to remember. To lose everything about my home and family would mean the slavers won. I have to hold on to at least part of my world or I become nothing. Thank you for helping me to remember." He hugged her then ran out of the room.

 _Maybe, just maybe, helping these kids regain some piece of home will help me regain part of what I lost when I was taken from my home._

* * *

A week later, at 3:10PM, Kurt went searching for Sonya after she didn't show up for fencing practice. He found her sitting at a large table in the dining room surrounded by kids, boxes and toys. Some of the older children around the table were wrapping their own presents, but others were waiting for help from the woman with their gifts and several were asking questions of her all at the same time. Christmas carols streamed from a small radio at another table. The lady was buried in wrapping paper, boxes and gift bags. She had tape, bows and ribbons stuck all over her. She held a small package in her hand which she was efficiently covering in wrapping paper.

"Hmm…Looks like Santa's workshop threw up all over you," he commented as he approached.

She glanced up at him and then at a clock hanging on the wall. " _Dumnezeule_ _!_ I forgot about practice!"

"It's all right. We'll do it later. What are you doing?"

"I was teaching the kids in my class about Christmas and the off-worlders decided they wanted to experience the tradition of gift-giving. So, we drew names and I offered to help them with the selection and wrapping of their presents, but somehow, word spread." She motioned around her. She completed wrapping the present she had been working on and handed it to the child beside her. Then she started untangling herself from the wrapping paraphernalia on and around her. "First rule of Wrap Club—"

"Do not talk about Wrap Club?" he interrupted raising an eyebrow.

She stood up from her chair and stretched her back. There were still pieces of tape on her clothes and ribbon tangled in her dark curls. A large red bow was stuck to the top of her head.

" _Nu_. You make up your rules and I'll make up mine. First rule of Wrap Club: Big helps little. And you look like a big, strapping man in search of someone little you can help." She motioned for him to take her place.

He threw his hands up and shook his head. " _Nein_! Look, only four fingers. I'm no good at wrapping presents."

"I need break." She patted the chair in front of her. She clearly was not taking no for an answer. A couple of the kids sitting around the table looked from the woman to the man and back again. He reluctantly took the seat. The little girl next to him sheepishly held out a Barbie doll to be wrapped. Kurt gave Sonya a pleading look, but she turned her back on him and walked towards the kitchen.

She returned five minutes later with two large, piping hot mugs of cocoa and a plate of Christmas cookies some of the kids had made that looked more like blobs than snowmen and some chocolate Santas. She sat the food down in front of Kurt. She then walked over to the radio playing non-stop Christmas carols and turned it off.

" _Danke, liebchen_."

"For the food or turning off the carols?" She took the now empty seat beside him.

"Both."

"At least, you haven't been listening to them since one o'clock. What is that saying? 'No good deed goes unpunished'?"

"What happened to 'big helps little'?"

"Bah! Humbug."

She watched as he tried to wrap a toy car with little success. She picked up a small empty box from the table and handed it to him. "See, you are doing well," she lied.

She looked around the room. The number of kids waiting had not diminished in her absence. She unwrapped one of the chocolate candies and popped it into her mouth.

"So, have you finished your Christmas shopping?" he asked, struggling with the tape dispenser. She pulled several pieces off the one beside her and held them out for him to take.

" _Da_. I mailed all the presents for my family last week. I still need to wrap the one for Angelica—I drew her name in the present exchange. Are you done with your shopping?"

"Mostly. Still have to buy mine for the present exchange."

"Who did you get? Maybe I can help."

"Uhh…well…" He finished with the car and handed it back. The child left and another took over the seat. The little boy handed him a small cardboard box.

"So…me."

" _Ja_. Hope I didn't ruin the surprise."

"Not at all." She took the gift from the next child and started wrapping. After another hour and recruiting of more big people, they were able to clear the dining room of children, so it could be cleaned before the evening meal.

* * *

Sonya had arranged for a showing of _The Muppet Christmas Carol_ the evening of the gift wrapping workshop because she thought it would be more accessible for the younger students in her Cultural Studies class than other versions of Charles Dickens' _A Christmas Carol._ Though it wasn't completely true to the book, it contained enough of the general message of the story.

She made various treats and placed them around the room. She laid a pallet of blankets on the floor for the kids to lay on. She turned off the main light and turned on two small lamps, so the room would be dim.

About 6:30PM, she had seven children scattered across the couch, chairs and pallet in one of the school's shared living areas. About fifteen minutes into the movie, Piotr peeked into the room. He took a moment to scan the room and decided to join the group. He took a seat on the couch Sonya was perched on with Annabelle seated between them.

When the scene with the first ghosts came on, Annabelle squealed and latched onto Sonya.

"It's okay, little one. See, they are singing and dancing. Nothing to be afraid of." She wrapped an arm around the little girl who took that as an invitation to climb on the woman's lap. Sonya raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

When the movie was over, Sonya discovered Annabelle was sound asleep in her lap. She carefully got off the couch without waking the girl. She held her gently in her arms. She whispered to the other kids to head to their rooms. She looked helplessly at the two remaining kids who were also asleep. Piotr gently lifted the two slumbering kids—one boy and one girl—in his arms. They looked like dolls. He motioned for Sonya to lead him to the children's rooms.

Once they reached the boys' dormitories, she told him the boy's room was 105. She waited in the public area, while he put the boy to bed. When he returned, he found she was gently rocking the tiny girl in her arms and singing softly to her. When she noticed him approaching, she stopped and turned in the direction of the girls' dormitories.

"Annabelle and Simone are roommates," she informed him.

She led him to the girls' room and opened the door. While he laid Simone on her bed, Sonya gently rolled Annabelle into hers. She covered the child tenderly with a sheet and bent down to kiss her on the forehead. The silver chain she often wore slipped out from under her blouse. Piotr waited for her at the door. When she walked towards him, he noticed that the silver chain carried a crucifix. They exited the room and she silently closed the door.

" _Spasibo_ ," she told him as they walked down the hall, politely using Russian even though she detested it.

"You're welcome," he replied. "It was nice to see you have a soft side."

"I was merely putting sleeping child to bed."

"And that involves a kiss on the forehead?"

"She reminded me of my little sisters."

"I also have a little sister I am very fond of. Her name is Illyana. What are your sisters' names?"

"Crina and Ramona."

"Very pretty."

"Any brothers?"

"One. Grigore."

"I did not realize you were religious." He made a vee sign across his chest.

Sonya looked down and noticed her necklace. She tucked it back into her shirt.

"It was gift from my mother when I left for America. I wear it for her."

They walked in silence for a moment.

"I know you don't like me," he said suddenly.

If this caught her off guard, she didn't show it. "I have never said I do not like you."

"Then you can't stand being around me because I remind you of…"

"That is my problem and one that only I can fix. It has nothing to do with you."

"But it does when it endangers my friends and family."

"I assure you it will never affect a mission or endanger the X-Men."

They had returned to the living area from where they started.

"I hope not." He gave her a warning look. "S _pokojnoj_ _nochi_ , _pevchaya ptitsa_."

Sonya cringed at being called songbird in Russian, but let it slide. "Good night, Piotr."

Once she was alone, she cleaned up the room reflecting on how different this gentle giant was from the monster he resembled.

 _I must let the past go. It is time to forgive and forget._

* * *

The X-Men's holiday party was Christmas Eve. They all gathered in the large den with a fire roaring in the fireplace and lots of food and eggnog. About 10PM, the present exchange started. Sonya opened her present from Kurt which turned out to be an international cookbook and book of daily Bible verses. Angelica received a spa gift certificate from Sonya, Hank received a beard trimmer from Bobby, Rachel got a robe and slippers from Ororo, Jean-Paul got a gift certificate to a fancy French restaurant from Hank, Kurt got a collection of Errol Flynn movies from Rachel, Ororo got a collection of soothing teas and lotions from Angelica and Bobby got a watch from Jean-Paul. Full and happy, most headed off to bed with their gifts soon after. Kurt and Hank sat down for another round of eggnog and Angelica and Sonya cleaned up.

Still working on the eggnog and conversation, Kurt and Hank heard a noise in the study about 30 minutes later. Hank went to check it out. When he peeked through the cracked door, he saw Sonya sliding a present under the Christmas tree. He returned to the den before she saw him.

* * *

The next morning, Annabelle rushed into Sonya's room before 5AM dragging her stuffed rabbit after her.

"Miss Sonya! Miss Sonya!" she yelled.

Sonya muttered something in Romanian. She turned over and tried to ignore the child, but Annabelle jumped on the bed.

"Miss Sonya! Time for Santy Claus!"

"Okay, okay." Sonya rolled out of bed and pulled on a robe and slippers. She escorted Annabelle down to the study where the shared Christmas tree was. They were the first ones down and Sonya climbed onto one of the couches and watched Annabelle running around checking presents for her name. The X-Men had ensured all the children that did not go home or receive presents from family had something under the tree. She located one gift and tore into it. Inside was a cloth doll. She ran over to Sonya to show her.

"Very nice. What are you going to call her?"

"Hmm…I think I will call her Sonya because she has green eyes like you." She ran back to the tree and pulled out the present Sonya had slid under it. She tore it open and found two bedtime story books. She showed these to Sonya, then laid them on the couch next to the lounging woman. Back to the tree she returned. She pulled out one more gift and found a coloring book and crayons in it. She searched a little more and when she didn't find anything else, she crawled onto the couch next to her friend. She handed one of the books to Sonya and rested her head on the woman's leg, her stuffed bunny and new doll clutched in her arms.

"But these are bedtime stories," Sonya protested.

"It's okay. You can still read them in the morning."

"If you say so." Sonya opened the book and read the first story. Halfway through, the little girl was asleep on her leg. She closed the book and laid her head on the couch's arm.

 _This is what Christmas is all about._

In a few minutes, she was asleep as well.


	5. Chapter 5: The Game's Afoot

Kurt and Sonya stood high atop an abandoned warehouse looking down at an adjacent building. The sky above them was grey and bruised, but no snow fell at the moment.

Kurt was outfitted in his traditional Nightcrawler uniform, a costume he had worn since his days in the circus in Witzeldorf, Germany. It was black with a large red V running the length of his torso. It was trimmed in red around white gloves and boots. He had two swords secured to a belt.

Sonya was wearing the latest incarnation of her costume. The bottom layer was a lightweight polymer Hank had developed that was stronger than Kevlar. This layer covered most of her body and was colored dark blue. She sported mid-shin black leather boots that concealed small throwing daggers. She had placed over the bodysuit a loose red satiny blouse with billowy long sleeves that fell to her upper thigh and was cinched with the light tan belt she always wore. This belt held two larger throwing daggers in the scabbards on the back; the hilts of the daggers barely visible when looking her straight on. She had added a couple of carrying cases to the belt to hold various gadgets she might need. Black leather gloves covered her hands and a large silver metal cuff shielded her left forearm. The blue, yellow and red coloring of her outfit was for the flag of her country. The signature patch that indicated she was a X-Man was sewn into the shirt above her left breast.

"This is the building Arcade is using as his base," Sonya informed her companion.

"Hmmm…Appears abandoned."

"And as we all know, looks can be deceiving." She suddenly ran towards the edge of the building they were standing on and dove off.

"Sonya!" he screamed in panic. He teleported to the edge of the building and looked down expecting to see his teammate splattered on the pavement below. Instead she was standing on a ledge two stories below him with her head cocked to one side, smiling broadly. He teleported to the ledge. "That was not funny!"

"Sure it was! If you can surprise me; I can return the favor."

"Never, never do that again!" She was still smirking at him. Suddenly the smile and the color in her eyes vanished. A white and green aurora appeared around her eyes.

"There's someone else here…" She pulled the empty cell phone she always carried out of a pocket on her belt and held it up. It displayed an image of a woman in a black cat suit with long red hair and a man with short spiky brown hair wearing a purple and black costume and purple tinted glasses. He had a quill of arrows strapped to his back and a bow in his hand.

"Black Widow and Hawkeye. They're Avengers," Kurt said.

"Avengers…I have heard stories."

 _And I know well of the Black Widow._

"Wonder what they are doing here."

"Shall we go find out…?" Sonya held out her gloved hand. Kurt took it and teleported them directly behind the two Avengers who were setting a small explosive charge to blow the lock on the building.

Kurt cleared his throat. Black Widow and Hawkeye turned round and pointed weapons at the two X-Men. Sonya raised an eyebrow. Kurt took a deep bow.

"Sorry, to surprise you, _meine freunde_. We are friendlies. I am—" Kurt started.

"The X-Man Nightcrawler," Black Widow finished for him. The Avengers lowered their weapons. "But, who's that?" She nodded her head in Sonya's direction.

"This is…" he trailed off. Sonya still had not chosen a codename. "You can call her S," he offered. Sonya gave him a sideways glance. "She is our newest X-Man. Now…why are two Avengers breaking into this building?"

"That's classified," Hawkeye spoke up.

"To retrieve something Arcade stole from S.H.I.E.L.D. A device that allows its possessor to control the minds of others," Sonya disclosed.

"How do you know that?" Hawkeye demanded.

"She's clairvoyant," Kurt informed him.

Hawkeye relaxed. "Awesome! She could give us the numbers for the next lottery!" he enthused.

"Or severely compromise America's security," Black Widow stated, glaring at the dark haired woman. Sonya met her stare evenly.

"Arcade is an assassin for hire. Why would he steal something from S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Kurt asked.

"We don't know but we plan to find out. Why are the X-Men here?" Hawkeye replied.

"He tried to kidnap one of ours and we tracked him here," Kurt answered. He attempted to diffuse the tension between the two women who were still glaring at each other. "Well…since it looks like we are double-booked, we may as well work together to take down Arcade."

"Very well. Just let us finish setting this charge," Hawkeye stated. He turned around to finish what he had been doing.

"Nightcrawler can get us in without the loud pop and setting off sirens," Sonya stated.

"This is not loud and—" Hawkeye started.

"Fine. You two get us in," Black Widow cut him off.

Sonya held up her device and showed Kurt what was on the other side of the door. He teleported them in. They found themselves at the end of a long, dim hallway. Sonya removed a glove and touched the wall.

"The hall's booby trapped. I will lead. Step where I step." She put her glove back on and started down the hall carefully, followed by Hawkeye, Black Widow and Kurt. About fifty feet down the hall, something in Romanian escaped her lips just before everyone heard the click. She turned and yelled, "Kurt, 200 yards straight…" The ground beneath Hawkeye gave way and he began to fall. "Then 300 yards right!" She jumped into the growing opening. Kurt grabbed hold of Black Widow's arm and teleported.

"Rope arrow eleven o'clock!" Sonya yelled as she followed Hawkeye down into the darkness. He pulled the requested arrow from his quill, notched it and fired where she had directed. It caught on something in the gloom. Sonya twisted and somersaulted so they would collide as his trajectory started to arc.

"Oof!" he said as they hit. They ended up almost face to face with her head slightly above his. Her shirtsleeve ripped as it grazed across the top of his arrows as she struggled to lock her arms around his neck. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held tight. The arc of their pendulum swing dissipated and they were left hanging motionless in this awkward position.

She uttered another word in Romanian when she saw her torn sleeve. "Your arrows ripped my shirt!"

"Did your shirt damage my arrows?" He tried to look in his quill, but just caused the duo to spin.

"Stop that! You are impossible! You did not step where I stepped!" she accused.

"I did! I watched very carefully and stepped exactly where you stepped!" They glared at each other.

"You weren't watching my feet! You were watching my—"

"NO! No. Okay, maybe...This clairvoyant thing is getting old!"

"You are a moron!" She released her arms and hung from her legs secured around his waist.

"Hey! Not that I mind a beautiful woman wrapped around my waist, but what are you doing?" he said looking down.

She ignored him. She carefully opened one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out a chemical stick. She snapped it and shook to activate. She let it fall into the abyss. She let go with her legs and followed the small light down.

"S!" Hawkeye yelled.

She rolled to correct her position and landed safely on the ground in a deep knee bend, one hand on the ground to steady her. She picked up the little light and held it up. Hawkeye hung about ten feet above her head.

"This time, follow my lead! Land where I landed!" She moved the light around at waist height illuminating several sharpened metal spikes protruding from the ground around her. She stepped back to give him room.

"Fine…" he released his grip on the arrow. He landed with less finesse, but unharmed near her. She handed him the chemical stick and strode off into the gloom. He followed, working his way around the sharp spikes.

They discovered a wall about ten feet away. Sonya removed one of her gloves and ran her hand along the wall. She drew one of her daggers and used it to pry open a panel. She pulled out a wire and sliced it open.

"So, what kind of a codename is 'S' anyway? Is it short for your name? Let me guess…Sharon? Suzie? Sasha? No, Sakharov…" Sonya shot him a withering look as she cut another wire. She started twisting the wires together.

"So, why do you have large arrow on chest pointing to your…" Her last word was drowned out by the sound of the door opening. She continued as the noise died down. "So you can find it at night when you go to bathroom?" Hawkeye glared at her. She replaced her glove.

"Shall we go?" he asked perturbed. "After you…" He motioned for her to take the lead. She took a step, then stopped; her eyes clouded over.

"Some…things are coming!"

"Things?! Can you be a little more specific?! And what's with the freaky eyes?"

"Robots! They're robots! Three of them. They'll be here in ten, nine…" Hawkeye notched an exploding arrow and aimed for the door. "Eight, seven…" Sonya pulled two small white balls from a pouch on her belt. "Six, five…" She fell silent.

Black Widow, Nightcrawler and Nick Fury walked through the door. Even though they looked like their teammates, Hawkeye and Sonya both knew they were only replicas. Arcade's specialty. Hawkeye loosed his arrow when the Black Widow replica entered the room catching it in the head. The arrow exploded on contact. The android fell to the floor. Sonya squeezed the two balls in her hands and rolled them on the floor at the next two replicas. They exploded as they reached the robots. The Nick Fury android was cut in half. The Nightcrawler doppelganger had one of its legs severely damaged. Hawkeye hit it in the chest with an exploding arrow sending parts flying everywhere.

"Nice!" he said. "Hey! How about Gypsy for a codename? You look like a gypsy with the hair and clairvoyant thing going on."

" _Nu_! Am not gypsy." She picked her way through robot parts to exit the room. He followed.

" _Nu_? You're not Russian, are you?"

" _Nu_."

"So, do you use those knives or just carry them around for looks?"

"I can demonstrate my skill by placing one between your eyes, if you like."

"No, I do not like!"

* * *

In the meantime, Kurt and Black Widow had ended up at a locked door after following Sonya's directions.

"Okay, transport us to the other side," Widow instructed.

"Can't. Don't know what's on the other side. We could end up teleporting into a solid wall or something. Can't you use more of that stuff you were using to blow the other lock?"

"Fine." She opened a pouch on her belt and pulled out what looked like soft clay. She spread it over the lock of the door and pressed a small wire hooked to her bracelets into it. She extended the wire and backed up from the door. There was a quiet pop when she pressed a button on her bracelet. She pulled out some of the wires from the open gash in the wall and twisted several together. The door opened.

Inside they found Arcade flanked by three identical Hawkeyes. They began to move towards the arriving heroes.

"What the—!" Widow started.

"It's not him." Kurt told her. "They're replicas."

"Are you sure?"

Kurt drew his swords and teleported to the nearest Hawkeye bringing his blade straight down through his head and partially through his chest. The mechanism sparked and collapsed to the floor.

Black Widow shot the one nearest to her with an electrical charge from her bracelets, short-circuiting the robot. She looked around to see Kurt slicing the last robot in half with his swords.

Once they finished with the robots, they both turned their attentions to the red-haired man in the flamboyant suit calmly waiting upon a plush chair. Arcade had one foot resting on his other knee. His hands formed a triangle just below his chin. He was wearing a silver ring covered with circuits on his forehead.

"Now, now, don't strain yourselves, my poppets. I would hate for you not to be in tip top shape when you get to my Murderworld!" he told them.

He concentrated and Kurt and Black Widow stopped their approach and came to attention. They were under the control of the stolen headpiece. He stood up and approached his quarry. "Looks like my taking of this bauble had the desired effect. Black Widow came straight to me. And as a bonus, I get a rematch with the X-Man Nightcrawler!"

He checked a computer screen, which displayed Hawkeye and Sonya's progress. "Plus the Avenger Hawkeye and another X-Man! I had so hoped Firestar would show up, but no matter. I'll pick her up later. As soon as the others join us, we shall make our way to Murderworld and then the fun will begin!"

* * *

Once outside the room, Sonya headed to the right, followed by Hawkeye. Three more androids appeared behind them in the same disguises as the ones that they had just destroyed. The couple increased their speed until they came to a screeching halt when they discovered a large section of the floor missing.

"I have another rope arrow. We could swing across," Hawkeye suggested. Their pursuers were quickly approaching.

"Better idea." Sonya drew one of her daggers and threw it across the chasm striking the wall on the other side. A panel opened on one side of the gap before them and a slab slid out forming a walkway. Once there was enough floor in place, the couple ran across. Sonya pulled her dagger out of the wall and the slab retracted, trapping their adversaries on the other side. The duo located a stair well and ran up several flights. After navigating another hall, they rushed through the door where their teammates were being held.

"Widow!" Hawkeye yelled. He notched his bow and pointed it at Arcade. "Are these replicas?" he directed the question in his companion's direction.

" _Nu_. It's the real Nightcrawler and Black Widow. They are under Arcade's control," Sonya informed him.

"Let them go or—!"

Arcade activated the headpiece again. Hawkeye dropped his bow to his side. He and Sonya stood at attention.

A thought and Black Widow and Sonya stepped forward till they were side by side in front of Arcade.

"A brunette and a red head," he cooed as he circled the two women. He stroked Black Widow's chin. "Too bad they didn't bring me a blond! Oh, well. I do have a new lovely to play with. Wonder what your powers are. Guess we shall soon find out."

As he reached for Sonya's chin, she struck him in the throat with the edge of her hand. He clutched his throat and sputtered. She then wrapped her hands around his head and brought it down on her raised knee. The man was stunned. A roundhouse kick to the head and the man crumpled to the floor. Now that he no longer controlled their minds, the others blinked, clearing the fog from their minds.

Sonya grabbed hold of Arcade's headpiece and ripped it from his skull. Her face hid the anger inside. She dropped the object to the floor and smashed it with her boot.

"Hey!" Widow screamed. "That was S.H.I.E.L.D. property!"

"So?" Sonya asked casually.

"You had no right to destroy it!"

"No one has a right to such a device!" Sonya spit, no longer disguising her rage.

"Except mutants?"

" _Ce_?"

"There are mutants that possess the ability to control minds!"

"That is not their choice! This device was built by someone for a purpose! There are many mutants who would much prefer not having powers!"

The men decided they best separate the women before they started trading blows. Kurt teleported between them facing Sonya. He put his hands up in a placatory gesture. "Sonya, calm down. They are not the enemy."

Hawkeye grabbed Black Widow by the arm and tried to pull her away, but she would not budge. The women glowered at each other. Kurt grabbed Sonya by her shoulders and teleported her ten feet away.

"Hey! Look at me." He put his hand on her chin and turned her gaze from Black Widow to him. "I know you don't like mind control, but calm down. You destroyed the device. It's over. We don't need any ill will between the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D or the Avengers." She took a deep breath to calm herself.

" _Da_ ," she said quietly.

" _Gut_." He released his grip on her.

Black Widow had moved to Arcade's control console and was tapping buttons. Hawkeye was checking Arcade's condition. He stood when the two X-Men separated. "So, how did you get free of Arcade's mind control, S?" he asked.

"Doesn't work on me," Sonya informed him.

"Lucky us…"

"Well, we have successfully stopped Arcade, so since we are no longer needed, we will take our leave," Kurt told the Avengers. Black Widow didn't look up from the console. Hawkeye crossed to the X-Men. He held out his hand and Kurt shook it. Sonya just stared at him.

"Thanks for your help. And S, whenever you have some free time, maybe we could have a friendly game of target practice."

"Waste of time…" she replied. Kurt touched her shoulder and they were gone in a puff of smoke.

* * *

When Black Widow and Hawkeye arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York Triskelion, Nick Fury was waiting for them. Widow stormed past him, but Hawkeye stopped. Fury held his hand out. Hawkeye dropped several metal fragments into Fury's palm.

"What's left of your mind control device," he informed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s leader.

"What happened?"

"An X-Man. She had a philosophical difference of opinion with your device."

"Storm?"

"No, a new girl. Called herself 'S'. Long black hair, striking green eyes, nice legs, kinda hot."

"Hmm…Okay, I want a full report."

"Sure." Hawkeye started to walk away.

"And you can leave the 'hot' part out of your report," Fury called over his shoulder. He looked down at the metal fragments.

* * *

Black Widow sat in front of one of S.H.E.I.L.D.'s computers. She had typed 'black hair, green eyes, Romanian, female, knives, bladed weapons, daggers, clairvoyant' in the search window for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database of wanted criminals. After a few seconds, the computer returned three files.

She clicked on one listed as 'The Dark Lady'. There was no photo in the file. The text stated: No image available. All that is known about this individual is she is dangerous, combat trained, expert with bladed weapons particularly throwing daggers, dark hair, possibly Russian or Romanian. She is a master of infiltration. Wanted for theft of numerous high-level security documents and property, destruction of property, bodily injury and murder. Known affiliates: Anton Koulakova, Daniil Perfilyeva. Known areas of operation: Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. She is considered extremely dangerous, confront with caution.

The name Anton Koulakova was familiar, so she clicked on it. Koulakova's file came up. Across his picture was the phrase 'Captured' in red letters.

Hawkeye came up behind her. "Fury wants a full report," he informed her.

She turned to look at him. "Of course he does. Clint, that woman…stay away from her. She's dangerous."

"All women are dangerous, Nat."

* * *

A few days later, Kurt and Sonya were about half way through the movie _The Princess Bride_ when Sonya asked him to pause the show. A moment later Annabelle strolled into Kurt's loft.

"Miss Sonya…" she said sheepishly.

" _Da_ , Annabelle?" the woman prodded.

"I lost Mr. Bunny again."

"I see. Okay, I will help you find him." She whispered to Kurt: "Sorry, this is becoming a ritual with her." She rose and took the little girl's hand.

"This looks like an important mission," Kurt said getting up too. "Maybe I should come along as back up."

They walked to Annabelle's room. Sonya put her free hand to her temple and pretended to use her powers even though her hand holding Annabelle's was gloved.

"I…see…him," she said. She let go of the child and walked to Annabelle's bed. She knelt and pulled up the bed covers. "Here he is, hiding again." She pulled the large stuffed bunny out from under the bed and handed it to Annabelle.

"Thank you!" Annabelle exclaimed. Sonya stood. "Miss Sonya, would you read me about the bears again?"

"Of course, get in the bed." Sonya helped the small girl into the bed and placed the covers over her. She sat down next to her. Kurt took a seat on one of the empty beds. Their owners were elsewhere at the moment.

Sonya picked up a book of fairy tales from a bedside table and turned to the requested story. She started reading.

 _This is a very different side of Sonya_ , Kurt thought. _Didn't know she could be so…nurturing. It's nice_. He listened as the woman read the story using different voices for each character.

When she finished, she replaced the book on the table. She bent over to kiss the girl on the head.

"Miss Sonya?"

" _Da_ , Annabelle?"

The girl whispered so Kurt could not hear, "Are you going to marry Mr. Wagner?"

" _Ce_?! _Nu_ … _nu_. We—we are just friends." She kissed the girl and straightened.

"I'm glad." The girl yawned.

"Why, little one?"

"Because if you marry Mr. Wagner and have children, then you will forget all about me."

"That will never happen, I promise, Annabelle. Now good night."

"Good night, Miss Sonya."

She walked to the door of the girl's room with Kurt trailing. The girl's words rang in her head. _Am I spending too much time with Nightcrawler now that we are getting along? Do others think there is something going on between us?_

"That was very nice," he told her. "Ready to finish the movie?"

"Uh…I need to do some studying. I'll see you later." She left him scratching his head.

* * *

Germany was the country for the next International Food Friday, so over plates of bratwurst, sauerkraut, strudel and lots of beer, the team brainstormed codenames for Sonya.

"What did they call you back in Russia?" Angelica asked.

"Mutant 5 or Agent M5," Sonya answered. Of course, there was another name, but she did not speak it.

"Hmmm…that won't do. How about Gypsy?" suggested Rachel.

" _Nu_ , was raised in village. Am not Traveler," Sonya replied.

"We can't use Destiny. She was a criminal," Piotr stated.

"Mystic?" Jean-Paul proposed.

" _Nein_ , too close to Mystique," Kurt protested.

"Seer?" Ororo chimed in.

" _Nu_."

"Diviner?" Angelica said.

"Medium?" Hank asked.

"What is she, a size?" Bobby interjected. "How about Fortune Teller or just Fortune or the All-Knowing Madame Fortuna!" He then started singing: "Fortuna, Forturna, bo-bortuna, Banana-fana fo—!"

A chorus of loud noes in several languages shut him up.

"Clairvoyant?" Kurt joined in.

"Too long."

"Oracle?" Rachel asked.

"N—wait. It's short, easy to say and the people in my village did come to me to learn about their future," Sonya answered. "But I think I would like to spell it the Romanian way: O-R-A-C-O-L. What do you think?" She looked around the group. There were no objections. "Then, Oracol, it is!"

* * *

Angelica and Sonya were strolling down on the corridors of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning deep in conversation when three of the students ran up to them.

"He's tweeting again, Miss Sonya!" one of the children announced.

"He's calling you chicken!" another added.

"Don't you kids have something better to do then follow the rantings of an egotistical blowhard on the Tweeter? Like maybe studying for a test?"

"Twitter," one corrected.

"Whatever…" Sonya walked off, Angelica trailing after her.

"What was that about?" her friend asked.

"Apparently Hawkeye is trying to goad me into a target competition by putting defamatory remarks on the Twister."

"Twitter."

"Whatever. Some of the students seem to think the school's honor is on the line or something."

They had reached the practice room Sonya and Kurt used for fencing practice and stood outside it. Kurt was inside setting up for the day's training.

"Are you going to do it? I mean, Hawkeye is kinda cute. I would do it."

"It would be waste of time. Neither of us ever misses, so the best we can hope for is a tie."

"Maybe that's not the point. Maybe he just wants to see you."

"He is moron."

"You don't have to marry the guy, just go out with him a couple of times. You never go out. You should go out. Or have you used your powers to see that things will turn out badly?"

"I don't use my powers in affairs of the heart."

"Why not? I thought that was what fortune tellers did best, tell women they're going to meet a tall, dark, handsome man…"

"The heart is too fragile."

"What does that mean?"

"Suppose, I told you that your perfect man was standing on the street corner just outside the school and you two would fall madly in love and have great happiness."

"I would run to the corner."

"And if I told you the happiness would only last for one year and after that year, it would end tragically. And then maybe one of you would fall into a great depression or something, maybe drug or alcohol addiction, something really bad."

"Well…"

"And then what if I told you a child would be conceived in that year? A child that was important to the future of the world?"

"Well…"

"And what if I told you the child would turn out to be a cruel and evil villain?"

"Okay, okay. I see what you mean. But, you can still go out with the guy and just have some fun. Just think about it. After all, the school's honor _is_ at stake!" She walked off.

* * *

That night Sonya awoke with a start. She knew what she had just experienced was not a dream. She got up and went into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and patted it dry. She looked at her face in the mirror. She reached out and touched it.

She concentrated and the vision she had seen in her dreams appeared. Hawkeye was riding on a motorcycle towards the school. She knew he would be arriving at the school tomorrow. He stopped at the entrance of the school and got off the bike. She held that moment and looked at the man.

 _Do other women really find him attractive_? she wondered. She enlarged the image of the man and studied it for moment. _He is moron_! She let the image dissolve.

She then reached her mind out for Kurt, trying to see where he was. Only her face showed in the mirror.

She then shifted her mind to the vision of their shared destiny. A scene of her and Kurt standing in front of a shining object appeared. Another person floated in the air beside them. The person was awash in light and no detail could be made out of their face or dress. She was sure it was a man in what appeared to be a long cape. She concentrated trying to draw more out of the vision. Suddenly she heard two phrases in her mind: seeker and empty vessel.

 _What do they mean_? She tried again, but nothing else new was revealed.

She climbed back into bed and shut her eyes. "Must get some sleep. After all the honor of the school is at stake tomorrow…"

* * *

Midday the following day, Sonya sat on the steps of the school. She was suited up for combat. She had replaced the red shirt of her previous costume with a long red leather vest that fastened with cloth toggles up the front. The tan belt held it to her waist. She had added two daggers at the back of her shoulders, their hilts rising above each shoulder so they were easy to draw. She had also added a small hidden T-handle push dagger in the back of the collar of the vest. It had been coated in a fast acting knock out toxin she had created with Hank. Her hair was in a long braid down her back so as not to get tangled in the daggers.

As she had predicted, Hawkeye's motorcycle appeared on the school's driveway. Sonya had not told anyone of her vision, but she felt a half dozen eyes on her, including those of Angelica, Rachel and Bobby. The motorcycle slid to a stop in front of her and Hawkeye jumped off.

"I see you got my message," he said removing his helmet.

"I have better things to do than follow your childish prattle on Chatter."

"Twitter."

"Whatever."

"But you are waiting for me, right?"

"I had vision last night…"

"Oh how sweet! You're dreaming of me now."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"But you _are_ excepting my challenge, right? I mean you're waiting for me."

"It will be waste of time."

"Oh, come on. I know you want to know what will happen as bad as I do."

"I can show you exactly what will happen. Then we don't have to go."

"How can you show me what will happen if it doesn't then happen?"

"The future is always in flux. Every decision we make can change—"

"Oh, hocus pocus! Come on, get on."

She stood and walked down the stairs.

"So, do I still call you 'S'?"

" _Nu_ , I have chosen the codename Oracol."

"I still like Gypsy."

"Am not gypsy," she mumbled.

"Got rid of the red shirt?" He put his helmet back on.

"Didn't want you to rip it again."

"Oh, ha-ha!" He handed her a helmet and climbed on the bike. He moved forward to give her room.

She looked at the helmet and then at the bike.

"What's wrong? Afraid of motorcycles?"

" _Nu_. Afraid of your driving."

" _I_ am an expert driver."

She rolled her eyes and put the helmet on. She climbed on the bike behind him. She waved at the people she knew were watching as Hawkeye started the bike. She put her hands on his waist. The bike started to move. She wrapped her arms all the way around his waist and squeezed as tight as possible. He chuckled. It was obvious this was her first time on a bike.

After a few minutes, she relaxed her grip on him so he could inhale a full breath of air. She leaned back a bit. She began to look around. _This isn't so bad_. She watched a bird flying high above them. She lifted one hand and felt the wind rush against it. Then both hands. She lifted them above her head and screamed "Woo-hoo!" even though they were traveling 70 miles an hour. Hawkeye chuckled to himself.

He took her to a warehouse on the edge of New York City. It was owned by a subsidiary that couldn't be traced back to S.H.I.E.L.D. He had spent a week setting up the targets for this competition. He unlocked the door and led her in. Everywhere was targets of every kind. Some moved, some popped up. It was like an amusement park for, well, Hawkeye.

They lined up in front of four stationary targets. Hawkeye took point. He fired arrows as fast as he could into the bull's-eyes. As soon as an arrow struck its mark, it was sliced down the shaft by a dagger.

"How very Robin Hood-ish of you," he commented as she retrieved her daggers.

For several hours, they continued like this. Moving targets, blindfolded, with backs to the targets, a game similar to darts, hanging upside down, Hogan's alley, on and on until Sonya was thinking seriously about human testing of her knock out dagger. Neither could get an upper hand. They were matched in skill and speed. Finally, Hawkeye admitted it was a tie.

He locked up and they returned to the bike. "How about some food?" he asked.

"Okay, I know a place that doesn't mind our kind."

"Oh, I'm not a mutant."

"I meant superheroes."

"Oh."

She directed him to the X-Men's favorite hangout Harry's Hideaway. They walked in and took a seat. There was a band setting up on the stage.

"Sonya!" one of the band members called. "Open mic night!"

" _Nu_. My friend and I are just here to eat," she replied as the waitress walked up.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure he won't mind. You can sing one song while you wait on the food. You know how long it takes Harry to cook," the guy pressed.

"Go ahead. I don't mind," Hawkeye assured her.

"Tess, I'll have the burger with the works and a beer." She rose and walked to the stage.

"I'll have the same," Hawkeye told the waitress.

"Okay, boys, what song do you want to do?" she asked.

"How about 'Fever'?" the drummer asked.

"Okay."

"One, two…" the drummer counted off. He started, then the bass player joined, then Sonya started singing. She appeared comfortable on stage.

Hawkeye leaned back in his seat. He wasn't expecting this. _Wow, the girl's a singer. A very talented singer. Deadly with daggers. Combat trained. Clairvoyant. What other secrets is she keeping?_

They ate and had a few more beers watching the other participants of open mic night. The band even tried to get Hawkeye on stage, but he refused. Finally, about 9:30PM, they packed it in and headed back to the school.

As she got off the bike and handed him back his helmet, he asked, "You still don't like me, do you?"

"I don't know you."

"You could. You could just reach out and know everything about me, couldn't you?"

"I could, but I won't. Sometimes allowing people to let you into their world on their own terms is best."

"So…let's let each other into our worlds. Let's get together again."

"That's not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust you. Like Black Widow doesn't trust me."

"Widow doesn't trust anyone. She thinks you are a spy or mercenary or something. She thinks you're dangerous."

"I am." She turned and walked up the stairs, then paused. "Oh, during your next mission, take out the opponent on the right first."


	6. Chapter 6: Almost Paradise

"Nightcrawler and Oracol, please, report to Storm's office," a telepathic message came to the two identified X-Men. The message was sent by Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock AKA Psylocke.

Sonya was in the library studying and quickly packed her books into her backpack. Kurt was working out on the bars and hoops that hung from the ceiling of his loft. After executing a dismount that would have put any Olympic gymnast to shame, he teleported to Ororo's office to find her and Hank waiting. Sonya arrived a couple of minutes later.

"We have learned of a new resort that is catering exclusively to mutants. It's not being advertised. Viva voce—word of mouth promotion only," Hank explained.

He brought up a map of Hawaii on the computer on the desk. "It's on one of the smaller Hawaiian Islands. The island and resort are owned by billionaire Andre Bartholomew."

The image changed to the face of a man with lime green skin that looked plastic. There were short tentacles on his chin. His eyes resembled that of a snake. He wore a black bowler hat and no hair was visible on his face or from under the hat. "He's a known mutant, but very reclusive. We don't know much about him.

"The resort is being touted as safe for mutants. We have not heard anything negative about it, but we have seen far too many other such facilities that have been used for the enslaving and exploitation of mutants, so we want to check it out."

Ororo took over, "So, we have booked you two into the resort as newlyweds."

" _Was_?!" Kurt asked.

"Newlyweds?" Sonya inquired.

"You two worked well together to capture Arcade and you both know how to be discreet. If there is nothing sinister going on, we don't want to alienate Bartholomew. We may find him to be an asset or may want to use the resort as a recreational destination in the future," Ororo continued. "So, tread lightly. You leave in two days, so start packing."

"And I now pronounce you man and wife…" Hank stated. He laid two silver wedding rings on the desk.

Sonya picked up the smaller one and Kurt took the other. They walked out of the office together still in disbelief.

"So…which finger are you going to put that on since you don't technically have a ring finger?" she asked.

He tried the band on the finger next to his thumb of his left hand, but found it to be too tight. He moved to the other finger and it fit.

Sonya slid hers onto her ring finger and stared at it.

 _Are you going to marry Mr. Wagner_? Annabelle's words echoed in Sonya's head. _Could the child be clairvoyant too?_

* * *

Kurt skillfully landed the Blackbird that Ororo had gifted him at the small airport on the island where the Paradise Resort and Spa was located two days later. A black limo awaited them. A girl dressed in a Hawaiian outfit waiting with the car's driver placed leis on the couple and welcomed them to the island. The driver opened the doors of the car to allow them in, then placed their suitcases in the trunk of the car.

The limo deposited them at the entrance to the resort. A huge wall surrounded the place, guarding the interior from prying eyes. There was one large gate leading into the park itself. The driver unloaded their bags from the trunk and placed them on the curb beside the visitors. Kurt offered the driver a tip, but he declined it. During this momentary exchange, Sonya scanned the entrance with her powers.

They each picked up a suitcase and walked towards the front gate. Sonya veered towards a big sign that read "Paradise Resort and Spa" about twenty feet from the entrance, pulling Kurt by the arm with her. She sat down her bag and stepped in front of the sign.

"Oh, _Draga_! We just have to get a picture of us in front of the sign!" she announced loudly. He set his bag down next to hers, then stood beside her. She pulled a cellphone out of her pocket and switched it to camera mode then wrapped one arm around her companion's back. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. She held the camera out in front of them.

"Smile!" she said and took a picture. She pulled the camera towards them and pretended to check the shot. Kurt peered down at the screen with her. "There are telepaths at the gate checking people," she whispered as they stared at the phone, heads close together.

"Okay," he answered.

They pretended to take another picture. While checking that one she whispered, "I will squeeze your hand right before they start reading us and right after." He nodded his understanding.

"That's good," she announced loudly. They continued to the gate.

He noticed a sign on the exterior wall that read: "Mutants only. No weapons allowed on resort premises."

As they entered the resort, they were met by more girls in Hawaiian dress who draped leis about their necks. He felt her squeeze his hand just as a bellboy took their bags and ushered them to registration where they received the keys to the newlywed suite. When they turned around, the bags and boy were gone.

* * *

On a computer screen deep inside the resort's main headquarters, an image from a security camera displayed the two X-Men. The camera followed the couple as they made their way to a bank of elevators.

The observer clicked the button on the computer's mouse and another screen displayed a dossier on the couple. A picture of Nightcrawler was displayed along with a list of his powers and skills. Beside the picture of Oracol was a list of her skills, but the file read "Powers unknown".

* * *

When they arrived at their room, Kurt used the key to open the door. "Ready to be carried across the threshold, _Frau_ Wagner?"

"That's not—!" He picked her up before she could finish and carried her into the room. He held her while he surveyed the accommodations. There was a large open area with a TV, couch, table and chairs; a separate, nice sized bedroom with large bath and a private balcony. On the table in the living area was a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates.

"Umm…you can put me down now," she reminded him. He did so gently. She retraced their steps and closed the door.

"We're clear. There are no cameras or bugs in the room," she informed him. "We will have to be more careful outside. There are cameras everywhere throughout the resort."

A knock came at the door. He answered it to find the bellboy with their luggage. He accepted the bags, tipped the boy and closed the door.

Sonya tested the couch's comfortability. "You can have the bedroom and I'll take the couch."

" _Nein_. _I_ will take the couch," he corrected.

With sleeping arrangements decided, she picked up her bag to place it in the bedroom. "Our weapons are gone."

" _Was_?" He opened his bag and checked. His swords were missing.

"Can you locate them?"

"They are in the security office. But there are several individuals in the office."

He sighed. "They'll be fine for the moment. We'll retrieve them later." He decided to check out the balcony.

After stowing her bag, Sonya flipped through some pamphlets about the resort while enjoying one of the chocolates. "There appears to be lots of things to do," she called to her roommate. "And here's a map of the resort. So, what do you want to do first?"

"I think swimming…" He could see the pool from his position on the balcony and it beckoned.

Sonya changed first in the bedroom. She was never comfortable with showing a lot of skin. Too much chance for accidental contact with a passerby and catching a glimpse of their past or future. People whose future was short were always the worst. Usually, there was nothing she could do to prevent the loss of life. She just had to live with the often heart-wrenching last moments of a stranger's life.

There had been a few times when working for Koulakova that she had been forced to use her looks to complete a mission, but it was only as a last resort and she did not relish it. She preferred for her body to stay completely covered.

Given only two days to shop and pack, she hadn't had much time to find a suitable bathing suit. She had settled for a black one-piece with a translucent middle panel and an opaque ribbon that formed an 'X' across the stomach. Seemed appropriate for a X-Man.

She pulled a semi-translucent white cotton cover over it then placed sandals on her feet and packed a few things in a huge tote she had brought. She braided her hair, wrapped it around her head and secured it. She opened the door and went back into the living area, so Kurt could change.

He admired the lady as she entered the room. _You are a lucky man,_ Herr _Wagner_.

While waiting on him to change, she busied herself looking over the map of the resort. It was a large island and the resort covered much of it, almost fifty square miles of terrain.

When she heard the bedroom door open, she had her back turned. She suddenly had a horrid thought. _Please no speedo. Please no speedo_. She turned around to find her companion dressed in respectable blue and black swimming trunks that fell to his mid-thigh, a black T-shirt and flip-flops. A pair of sunglasses hung on his shirt. She took a moment to admire her new "husband".

 _You are a lucky woman,_ Doamna _Wagner_.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded and grabbed her bag and sunglasses.

Once they got down to the pool, they received a couple of towels from the pool concierge and picked out two chaise lounge chairs near the pool's middle. Sonya spread her towel over her chair and pulled a bottle of sunscreen out of her bag. She looked at it and then at Kurt. "Do you use sunscreen?" she asked him.

" _Nein_. My fur protects me."

"Then, will you put some on my back?"

"With pleasure."

She turned her back to him and started to raise her shirt.

" _Mein Gott_!" he gasped. She lowered the shirt back down. "I—I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting…" Suddenly the memory of the blood on her shirt the first day they met returned.

"You have no need to be ashamed," he whispered. He raised the shirt back up and removed it. There were several deep scars on her back. Some were much older than a few months. He wasn't sure what had made them, but whatever it was, it had to have inflicted great pain. "Did Daniil do this?" he asked as he squirted sunscreen on his hands and started to rub tenderly over the scars as if they were still fresh.

" _Da_." She spoke quietly.

"This is why it is difficult for you to be in the same room as Peter, isn't it?"

"Some scars are deeper than mere flesh."

He finished massaging the lotion over her back and handed her the bottle. He wiped the excess off his hands with his towel. She flipped her legs onto her chair and applied sunscreen to them.

He removed his shirt and flip-flops. "I'm going in," he announced. He bent down and kissed her lightly on the top of the head.

She finished covering her body with sunscreen and leaned back on the chaise lounge. She pulled a book out of her tote— _Casino Royale_ by Ian Fleming—and started reading.

Kurt grabbed one of the pool floats and jumped into the pool. He soon was stretched out on it, his hands behind his head, enjoying the breeze. _Ah, I could stay here forever_.

When a waiter walked by, Sonya stopped him and asked for a water. When he returned, she brushed his hand. The only vision she had was of his hot date with the bartender later that night.

Kurt was almost asleep when he heard someone say "Heyo!" He opened his eyes to see a middle aged couple staring at him. There was nothing in their outward appearances that marked them as mutants. "Aren't you that X-Man Night-something?" the woman asked.

"Night-walker, I told you," the man corrected.

Kurt raised himself up onto his elbow. "Nightcrawler, actually."

"Yeah! Wow! It is so great to meet a superhero," the woman gushed.

"Is the girl with you a superhero, too?" the man asked, pointing towards Sonya.

"She's my wife and _ja_ , she's a X-Man also."

"Wow! I didn't think superheroes got married. The danger and all," the woman said.

"Well, some of us do get married and have families…" He really wanted to get back to relaxing, but was too polite to ask these people to leave.

Sonya noticed her teammate's predicament. She decided it was a good time to join him and maybe learn more about the resort. She rose and put her book and sunglasses on the pool chair. She removed her sandals and walked towards the pool's diving board. She could feel eyes on her. She had always tried to remain in the shadows as a spy. Slip in and out, no witnesses, fade into the background. That was the best way. Today, she decided if people were going to watch, then she would give them a show. A Brazilian man had performed a perfect reverse tuck dive off the board about ten minutes prior. When she reached the board, she extended her mind out for him, extracting knowledge from him. She stepped up to the board and walked to the end. She turned her back to the water. She jumped and executed a perfect back dive. When she surfaced, she swam for her trapped companion. By now, he had gotten off the float and the couple had him backed up against the pool's wall. He looked desperate.

"That was amazing. She's a talented diver," the woman told Kurt.

" _Ja_. She has _many_ talents…" he stated. He correctly guessed that she had channeled the ability.

When she reached the group, she cozied up to Kurt wrapping her arms around his waist. " _Salut_ , _Draga_. Miss me?" she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

" _Ja_ ," he said grateful for the intervention. He wrapped an arm around her back.

"Wow! That was amazing!" the man said.

"Thank you." She put on her sweetest smile.

"We're Mr. and Mrs. Horace Albright from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Your husband was just telling us you two are newlyweds."

" _Da_. Nice to meet you." Sonya held her hand out so the couple would shake it.

"So, he's German and you're Rus—" Mrs. Albright started.

"Romanian," Sonya corrected.

"Wow! Just think of how many languages your kids will speak."

"I hadn't really thought about it…" she stammered, momentarily taken aback as the image of what their children might look like passed through her mind.

"Where on earth did you two meet?" the woman continued.

"Russia. I was in prison and he helped me escape. It was love at first sight." The woman looked unsure of whether or not she was joking.

"What she means is, she was imprisoned by a villain who was exploiting her powers and I rescued her," Kurt corrected.

"Oh…" The woman gave a weak smile.

"So, how are you enjoying the resort?" Sonya asked.

"It's great! You should try the shuffle board and golf," the man offered.

"Or a massage. Maybe a couple's massage being newlyweds and all," the woman offered.

"We just might have to try that. So, is this not just the perfect place for mutants to relax?" Sonya probed. She smiled disarmingly at the couple.

"You bet. It's Paradise!" the woman exclaimed.

"Well, I hate to steal my gorgeous husband away from you…" She stroked his chest. "…but I'm afraid I'm starving. How about lunch, _Draga_?" She kept her gaze on Kurt, so the couple wouldn't think it was an invitation to join them.

" _Ja_ …" They didn't wait for the Albrights to say a word. They swam to the ladder attached to the pool's edge and exited the pool.

Sonya giggled softly to herself.

"So you think that was funny, huh?" He looked hurt.

" _Da_."

They rinsed off at one of the outdoor showers, dried off and took seats at the poolside café.

"Sensed anything sinister yet?" Kurt asked, looking at her over a menu.

" _Nu_. Everyone seems relaxed and happy. Kind of boring."

"Well, it can't always be laser beams of death and damsels in distress."

The waiter came and took their order.

"Maybe this place is really as advertised. Paradise. The perfect place for mutants to take a vacation," he proffered.

"Yeah…maybe. So what is our next move?"

"Well, I guess we keep mingling. Maybe even relax and enjoy a well-deserved vacation. _I_ will pick tonight's activities."

After lunch, they retreated to their room and changed clothes. They had decided to walk around the premises and get their bearings. They checked out several of the resort's amenities including the golf course, work out rooms and tennis courts. They stopped and talked to several of the resort's other guests trying to find anything untoward that might be going on. Everything seemed to be on the up and up, so they returned to their room to rest up for the night's activities that Kurt had planned.

* * *

"So, where are we going and what do I need to wear?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's a surprise and just a nice dress, nothing too fancy."

She looked at the clothes she had put in the closet. She didn't like surprises—no, she was unaccustomed to surprises—but she would allow him this one. Though she couldn't see his future, she could see her own and could have checked it to see what was going to happen, but he seemed so set on surprising her. She pulled out the little black dress she had packed. She slipped it on along with a pair of low heels. She brushed out her hair and let it cascade down her back. Her thin silver necklace was visible, but what the necklace carried was tucked into the top of the dress.

She found Kurt clad in cotton pants of a charcoal hue, a pale blue shirt and a tan sports jacket when she exited the bedroom. She approached him and straightened his collar. "You look very nice, Mr. Wagner," she told him.

"And so do you, Mrs. Wagner." He took her arm and walked her out of the room.

They had a nice dinner at one of the resort's numerous restaurants. This one included a band and dance floor. After eating, he asked her out on the floor.

"I don't dance, remember?" she stated.

"If it makes you more comfortable, you can channel some of the women around us."

She rose. He grabbed one of the orchids from the vase in the middle of their table. Once they were on the dance floor facing each other, he placed it in her hair. He wrapped one arm around her waist and took her hand in his other. She rested her free arm on his shoulder. They started moving.

" _Multumesc_ , _Draga_." She looked around the room at the other couples. They all seemed happy. Maybe he was right. Maybe this place was paradise. Maybe she should just enjoy herself. She tried to switch off her training and relax as they moved around the dance floor. She concentrated on not stepping on his feet. The song went by quickly.

"Your perfume…is it wild roses?" he asked.

" _Da_."

"Hmm…A wild gypsy rose…" He dipped her and held her there. "For a dashing pirate king."

She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off.

"I know, 'Am not gypsy'," he said in an over-the-top fake Romanian accent. He brought her back to vertical.

She smiled.

"There it is…that lovely smile. You should show it more often."

"So, you fancy yourself a pirate king? Not just any run of the mill pirate?"

"I would definitely be the captain of my ship."

She looked up into his face. Most people would see only a demon, but he was really very attractive. His body was in top atheletic form, every muscle honed to its peak. His face was chiseled with a strong jaw. She moved her hand from his shoulder to his cheek and stroked it gently. He inclined his head slightly towards her touch. His fur was so soft against her skin. _He would be like bear skin rug in winter_.

He moved one of his hands higher on her back and pulled her a little closer. The scent of wild roses brought back memories of his youth in Germany.

She moved her hand to his ear. There was no fur on it. She ran her fingers through his hair. It was thick and soft. He closed his eyes for just a moment enjoying the sensation. She played with one of his curls between two fingers absentmindedly.

He looked deep into those emerald eyes. They were beautiful like the sea on a calm day.

She looked at his. There was not a hint of a pupil or iris. Just solid yellow.

She wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Would his fangs cut her lips?

Suddenly, they realized people around them were clapping. The song had ended. They separated and joined the clapping. They moved back to their table and he wrote their room number on the check.

Outside the restaurant, he put his arm around her waist and steered her towards the beach. The moon was full and the night was clear. The moonlight reflected on the water was tempting. She stopped him before they reached the sand.

"I think it's time to turn sail towards home, Pirate King," she said.

"Hmm…not so wild a gypsy rose after all." They returned to their room.

* * *

Sonya chose the next day's activities. They rented a Jeep and drove out past the resort's walls and up into the mountains. Once they found an open spot overlooking the compound, they parked. She pulled a blanket out of the vehicle and spread it on the ground. She sat down on it, pulled a pair of binoculars out from her tote and scanned their temporary home from their vantage point. Kurt occupied himself by exploring the surrounding area. After an hour, he came back and plopped down on the blanket. She was still scanning the resort through the binoculars.

"Anything?" he asked.

" _Nu_ ," she lowered the binoculars. "All's quiet."

"Like I said, maybe there is nothing going on."

She ignored him and raised the binoculars. He scooted over till he was right beside her. He took the binoculars out of her hand and laid them on the blanket. He placed a hand on each of her shoulders and pushed her down onto the blanket. "Relax," he commanded. He laid down, so that their heads were side by side, but their bodies were lying in opposite directions. "Just let go."

"I don't know how."

"Just look up at the clouds and try to see images. Like that one…" He pointed to one off to the left. "…looks like a dog."

"Waste of—"

"Just try it."

"Fine. The one over there…" She pointed to the right. "…looks like a dragon?"

" _Gut_. Good start. Now just breath deep and relax. Let your mind go."

They lay like that for three minutes.

"I can't take it anymore!" she said sitting up abruptly. She arose and went to the Jeep. Kurt didn't move. She retrieved the picnic basket out of the back and carried it to the blanket. She laid it down and opened the top. "Let's see what they packed for us." She started pulling out food and laying it on the blanket. He rolled over on his side to see what was for lunch.

"So, was Hawkeye okay with you and I pretending to be newlyweds?" he asked as he unwrapped the cellophane protecting a sandwich.

"Hawkeye? Why would Hawkeye care?"

"I thought you two were dating or something."

"Pfft! We had one target practice session and then he asked for help to find someone called Ant Man. As thank you, he took me to drive go-karts. I think he thought he could beat me since I never learned to drive."

"You never learned to drive?"

"Not exactly a skill Koulakova wanted me to have. Anyway, I channeled driving instructor and beat him by point two seconds."

"Only point two seconds? He must be good."

"I didn't want him to feel too bad. He's very competitive."

"Hmm…if you want to learn to drive, I can teach you."

"Thank you for the offer, but I hate to take up all your time."

"I don't mind."

After lunch, he talked her into exploring the immediate area with him on foot—just in case something nefarious was hidden in the jungles surrounding the resort. The only thing they did find was an isolated pool fed by a waterfall. After a refreshing swim, they scoured the area outside the compound in the Jeep while he instructed her in the basics of driving.

* * *

"So what do you think?" a male voice asked.

"We still don't know the woman's power and we have not seen his in action. I think we need a demonstration," a female voice answered.

The two individuals stared at a screen displaying an image of the X-Men waiting for a show to begin. It was a circus act that Sonya had gotten tickets for thinking that Kurt might enjoy having grown up in one.

* * *

As the curtain rose, the two teammates leaned back in their seats. Music started and theatrically dressed gymnasts took to the stage.

After twenty minutes of edge-of-the-seat, death-defying feats, Sonya tranced.

"Sonya, what is it?" Kurt whispered leaning towards her.

"The girl on the hoop…her support has been cut!"

He glanced at the stage. A young woman was performing acrobatic feats hanging from a ribbon of blue silky fabric. She was about twenty feet above the stage. The fall probably wouldn't kill her, but she might be injured.

"Stay here," he told his date.

He teleported to an empty area off stage he could see from their seats and looked up into the gloom of the stage's upper echelons. A couple of seconds later, there was a ripping sound and the girl and fabric began to fall. He teleported, catching the girl, then reappeared on the edge of the stage, tumbling to dissipate the momentum he had picked up catching her in mid-air.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Yes. Thank you. What happened?"

The crowd was gasping and clapping. Kurt and the girl took a bow pretending that the whole chain of events was part of the show. He walked the girl off the stage as part of the troupe picked up the pile of fabric. The performance continued. The troupe's leader ran to their side.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"Someone cut the girl's support," Kurt answered.

"What? Who?"

"I think I can find out if you give me a piece of the fabric."

The leader took the cloth from one of the performers and ripped a piece off it.

" _Danke_. I'll be back." He teleported back to his seat.

"Thank God, you caught her!" Sonya praised.

"I've got a piece of the fabric that was cut." He handed the small patch of nylon to her.

She removed a glove and held it. She closed her eyes concentrating.

"I get nothing. How can this be? How can I not read anything? It's like…"

" _Was_? Like I did it?"

" _Da_. I know you didn't, but that's what it's like. I'm sorry. How can there be another that my powers don't work on. Could they be failing?"

"Let's hope not. Maybe if we talk to the troupe after the show and you get closer."

Once the show ended, they teleported to the stage where they were joined by the park's security. Even with access to the performers and stage, Sonya was unable to determine the culprit. However, she was able to clear all the performers. Frustrated, she had Kurt escort her back to their room.

* * *

"Quite impressive," the female voice stated. "So the woman is a psychic. And the man's talent could be very useful. I think they will make very nice additions to our collection."

"Agreed," the male voice said.

"Send them an invitation."

* * *

Sometime around 2AM, Kurt heard the doorknob of the bedroom rattle and the door open. He opened his eyes to see his roommate exit the bedchamber. He sat up and watched her stroll to the table near the TV. Without looking, she pulled out the map of the resort and a pen. He stepped to her side to see what she would do. She held the pen above her head and brought it down abruptly. She then swooned and came out of the trance.

" _Ce_?" she asked looking around.

"I think you were sleepwalking." He switched on the lamp on the table. "You marked a spot on the map." He pulled the piece of paper towards the light. They both looked. She had placed a dot on one of the resort's maintenance buildings.

"I—I remember. I dreamed of this building. Inside it, there is a room filled with silver capsules. Lots of them. And inside the capsules…people. Sleeping people."

"Sleeping people? Do you think this has something to do with the girl's accident tonight?"

"I'm not sure. But I believe we have found tomorrow's activity."

"Seems the honeymoon is over."

She looked down to see she was wearing only her black slip of a nightgown. She blushed. "Uh, I'd better get back to bed." She moved quickly towards the bedroom, but noticed something white on the floor in front of the door. She picked it up to find it was an envelope. Kurt looked over her shoulder. She opened it and pulled out a folded piece of paper embossed with a large 'B' on the front.

She read the message written on the inside of the card: "Thank you for saving Yu Huang from injury last night. The resort was very fortunate that you were in attendance at the time. I would like to extend my gratitude in person, so I hope you will join me this evening at 7PM at the Le Restaurant de Chat Noir for dinner. Just show this invitation to the maître d' upon arrival. Signed your humble host, Andre Bartholomew."

"Interesting. I get a troubling vibe from this, but nothing specific. Are we going to accept, Husband?"

"Of course, Wife."

* * *

The maintenance building Sonya had marked on the map was in a secluded area of the resort near the golf course's sixteenth hole. Hidden from security cameras by trees growing on one of the building's sides, Sonya touched the wall and concentrated. She held out her cellphone and displayed a room deep inside the building.

"It's 120 feet down," she told her mate. He touched her shoulder and teleported them.

They scanned the room. There was a lot of computer and scientific equipment and a large table filled with beakers and vials. On another table lay various weapons. Kurt stepped to that table and picked up a sabre.

"My swords!" he exclaimed. He picked up Sonya's belt with her blades and showed it to her. "And your daggers."

"Leave them. We don't want anyone to know we were here."

"They won't notice one missing." He twirled the blade in his hand with a flourish.

"Leave them." She walked through a doorway into an adjacent room. "Nightcrawler!"

He put down the weapon. "You need to call me Kurt since we're— _Mein_ _Gott_!" He was shocked as he saw rows of silver capsules. Each was cylindrical and seven feet high. There were about fifty of them arranged around the room.

Sonya was standing before one, her hand on its surface. There was a small window that allowed viewing of the capsule's contents. As Kurt approached, he saw it was a man. His eyes were closed and he was motionless.

"Sleeping people?" he asked.

Sonya moved to another container. " _Da_. But I get no readings from any of them." She moved around the room. "It's…like in the Danger Room. The simulations. I only read one individual across all these people. I—I don't think they're real."

"What do you mean?" He peered into another capsule, this time finding a woman.

"They're…copies."

"Clones?"

" _Da_."

"So, could one of them have cut the girl's support last night?"

"Possibly. Would explain why I couldn't get a reading."

"How many?"

"I count nineteen."

"How? Why?"

She placed both hands on a container. "I see a man…with weird hair…black on top, red on bottom. Long on one side, short on other. He uses…blood to grow copy of victim."

"Blood? He kills the original?"

" _Nu_. He does not require that much blood."

"Then he is not replacing the originals?"

" _Nu_."

"Then why—?"

Sonya's eyes clouded over. "Someone's coming. We need to get out of here." She moved to his side. He took her hand and teleported them outside the building.

After, scanning their surroundings, she plopped down on the ground and laid back, then rolled around for a few seconds covering her clothes and hair in leaves.

"What are you doing?" he asked, wondering if she had gone mad.

"Cover. Making it look like we were having tryst in woods." She unbuttoned a couple of buttons on her blouse and pulled part of the hem out of her pants.

Kurt sat down beside her and rolled in the leaf litter, too. They both stood and ruffled their hair and clothes.

"Well?" she asked, looking him up and down.

He grabbed her and kissed her on the lips.

" _Ce_?!"

"Just smearing your lipstick."

"I'm not wearing lipstick," she said miffed.

"Oh…sorry."

They moved out from under the trees' shelter.

* * *

"There they are." One of the resort's security guards was watching a screen showing an image of the couple exiting the woods. He spoke to his partner standing beside him.

"Guess we know what they were doing, heh-heh," the other said as they watched the duo straightening their clothes and pulling leaves from their hair.

* * *

When they returned to their room, they contacted Ororo and Hank on a secure video feed and told them what they had learned. Hank searched the X-Men's database, but could not locate any mutant that matched the powers and physical description that Sonya had seen in her vision.

"And you didn't see anything else?" Hank asked.

"Right before we were interrupted, I saw an Asian woman, but it was just a flash. If I had had more time…"

"Maybe we should have taken our weapons or something from the room," Kurt said. "Maybe we should go back."

" _Nu_. I sense we will meet this man very soon and we don't want to arouse suspicion."

"Maybe he will try to clone one of us." Kurt smiled slyly.

"There's a good chance," Ororo agreed.

"And you received a mysterious invitation from Andre Bartholomew for tonight?" Hank asked.

" _Ja_. For dinner," Kurt answered.

"Do you need backup?" Ororo asked.

" _Nein_. We'll be fine. We'll keep a low profile and find out what is going on around here," Kurt answered.

"Be careful. Bartholomew could be involved," Ororo stated.

"Will do. _Auf Wiedersehen_."

* * *

Sonya and Kurt arrived at the French restaurant on the top floor of the hotel a little before 7PM decked out in their finest. She wore a lavender pantsuit and he a black suit. After showing the invitation to the maître d', they were escorted back to a semi-private table near the band with a stunning view of the beach.

As the couple approached the table, Andre Bartholomew rose to meet his newest guests. He looked exactly like his picture, except now he wore no hat. He extended a three fingered hand for Kurt to shake, then for Sonya.

"I am so glad the heroes could join us!" he exclaimed. "Let me introduce you to my other guests…"

He started with a striking middle-aged Asian woman to his right and went around the table. "This is Ms. Chen. She is my Chief Operating Officer." They shook hands. "And this is Mr. Smith, Ms. Chen's assistance." He indicated a man with black hair that was dipped in red, long on one side, short on the other. "My Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Ryan and his wife, Kate. And you know Miss Yu and Mr. Steward." They shook hands with the middle-aged, gentile couple, the acrobat Kurt had saved and the troupe's leader. Kurt noted there were two large, burly men standing near the table watching the proceedings.

"Please, please, take a seat." Kurt took the seat next to Andre and Sonya sat down between her teammate and Miss Yu. "It is so exciting to have celebrities!"

A waiter quickly filled the newcomers wine glasses.

"I wouldn't call us celebrities," Kurt stated.

"Oh, but you are! You are famous X-Men. We are honored. And then to have you save our young performer. Just amazing!"

There were murmurs of agreement from around the table.

Kurt picked up his wine glass just as Sonya turned to him with her hand raised. She knocked the glass from his hand. It shattered when it hit the floor.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Sonya picked up her napkin and started drying her companion and the table. "Oh, _Draga,_ I was just going to ask you to dance. How clumsy of me!"

"It's quite all right, dear. The waiter will clean that up. Just go, dance and have fun. You are on your honeymoon after all," Andre enthused.

The couple rose and took to the dance floor.

"I'm guessing you had a good reason to drench me in wine," Kurt started.

" _Da_. The wine is drugged."

"Ah. Our clone maker Mr. Smith?"

"He follows orders from Ms. Chen. She is the one in charge. And Bartholomew is a clone."

"What about the others?"

"Everyone else at table is innocent and not clone. Only Chen and Smith are involved."

"And the goons in the corner?"

A moment of quiet. "Clones."

"Thought so. So Chen and Smith and three clones."

" _Da_. And Smith controls the clones. Take him out, the clones drop like marionettes."

"What about Chen? Is she a mutant?"

" _Da_."

"Power?"

"You're not going to like it."

"I already don't like it."

"She can double her size. And she's trained in martial arts."

" _Wunderbar_. Bartholomew's power?"

"Don't know. Nor the goons. Can't read them."

"Okay. A clone master, a giant ninja and three unknowns."

Sonya scanned the room. "And a lot of possible collateral damage if we confront them here."

"Agreed. We need a plan."

"How about the maintenance building where the clones are located?"

"Won't that give our clone master more soldiers?"

"Not if we get there first. I can make sure he can't free any more."

"And our weapons are there. Okay. Divide and conquer. Follow my lead." He led her off the dance floor and back to the table.

"Miss Chen, would you do me the honor?" he asked, bowing slightly and offering the woman his hand.

"I'm sorry. I don't dance," she answered curtly.

He bent down closer to the woman. "Oh, I think you do. Many dangerous, forbidden dances, _nein_?" he hinted softly.

Reading between the lines, the woman accepted his offer.

"Mr. Smith, would you do me the same pleasure?" Sonya asked.

Having overheard the exchange between his boss and the X-Man, he accepted. All four took to the dance floor.

"So, you have my attention, Mr. Wagner. What do you want?"

"Just to get you alone." He spoke over his shoulder. "Mr. Smith, we'll meet you where you keep your clones. _Liebchen_."

Sonya separated from her dance partner and moved to her teammate's side. Kurt touched her shoulder and teleported himself and the two women to the room in the maintenance building where the clones were stored.

Chen was confused, but only for a moment, then she started to grow. The ceiling was not tall enough for her to reach her full height, but she grew as large as she could comfortably. Sonya broke from the others and moved to a computer console. Kurt teleported to retrieve his weapons.

Chen picked up a table and threw it at the teleporter. He easily dematerialized out of the way. She took a step towards Sonya, but Kurt materialized in front of her and kicked her in the abdomen. The woman took a step back, but did not fall. She back-handed her adversary, throwing him back into some equipment. He rose, rubbing his chin. The giant picked up two of the broken table legs, brandishing them like batons. She ran towards her opponent. He blocked the pieces of woods with his swords, slicing them in two. Chen dropped her broken batons and shrank to normal size. She caught him with a kick, then a punch, in rapid succession. He was thrown back into the equipment again.

"I do not like striking a lady." He stood back up, holding his swords before him. "But you are not a lady!" He ran towards the growing woman.

Sonya had finished overriding the security codes for the clone's containers and locking them. She ran for her weapons. She grabbed one dagger and the small push dagger from the collar of her vest which lay beside her belt.

Chen had picked up another table and was using it as a shield from Kurt's assault. Sonya ran at the woman, sliding beneath her legs and slashing one of them with the push dagger. Chen laughed. "That was an insect bite!"

Sonya arose and stood by her teammate. "Maybe," she said.

The duo scattered as the woman threw the table. Kurt teleported in front of the woman's face, catching her in the chin with his foot. She laughed. He kicked off her chest, somersaulting backwards. The giant woman was overbalanced and fell back. Sonya threw her dagger, pinning the arm of the woman's blouse to the ground. As Chen reached for the dagger, Sonya again ran at her and slashed her arm with the small dagger. The X-Man then ducked to avoid being backhanded. The huge woman brought her free hand to her head.

"What? What have you done?" she asked. Her size started to diminish. She tried to pull free of the dagger, but seemed uncoordinated. She finally collapsed, unconscious.

Sonya looked down at the small dagger in her hand coated with blood. Kurt appeared by her side. "Looks like the knockout toxin worked. I was a bit worried about the dosage and her large size."

"You drugged her?" he asked.

"Seemed only fair. She tried to drug us."

"Did you secure the other clones?"

" _Da_. We have six minutes before Smith arrives." Sonya retrieved her vest and belt and put them on, returning the weapons she had removed.

Kurt removed his tie and jacket and laid them careful on one of the still standing tables. Then he rolled up his shirt sleeves.

"Ready?" he asked. He held his swords in front of him.

"Ready." Her hands were on the hilts of the daggers on her belt.

Everything was quiet. They stared at the elevator waiting for it to open. Everything was still quiet. They glanced at each other.

"I hate waiting," she finally said breaking the silence.

 _Ding_. The elevator opened. The two goons exited the elevator first, followed by Smith and Bartholomew.

"Remember, marionettes!" Sonya yelled as the goons ran at them.

Kurt ignored the two advancing men and teleported to Smith. He swung, but Bartholomew intercepted the punch. It was like punching rubber.

Sonya drew and threw her daggers, catching each approaching man in the thigh. Neither cried out or slowed down. The man on the left stopped and raised his arms. Sparks flew at the female from his hands. She somersaulted and slid behind the nearest piece of equipment making sure not to touch it. The machinery sparked and crackled.

The second man leapt over Sonya's barricade and landed in front of her. She got to a squatting position and swiped his legs out from under him. He fell before her. She grabbed his jacket with both her hands and slid him head first into the sparking machinery. He convulsed, then went limp. She moved quickly behind another piece of equipment.

Every time Kurt attacked Smith, Bartholomew would intercept the blow. He finally teleported the green man twenty feet away. He then reappeared in front of Smith alone. It was quickly evident the black and red haired man was no fighter. Two quick punches and the man collapsed in a heap along with Bartholomew and the man blanketing Sonya with sparks.

She popped her head up and looked at her teammate. "About time!"

"He was using Bartholomew as a shield!"

"And I was getting toasty!" She stood all the way up.

"So what was this all about anyway?" He surveyed the unconscious people and destroyed room. "Why did they want a clone army?"

"Give me a minute." Sonya moved to Chen's side and grabbed her hand. "Chen wanted to replace Bartholomew and use his wealth and power to destabilize the American economy. The other clones were just insurance. Protection against threats and to be used as lackeys depending on their talents." She dropped the woman's hand. "This was all about crippling America on the global stage. It was all about money and power."

"It always is."

"Oh! Bartholomew!" She took off at a run past the containers of clones with Kurt trailing. She stopped at a control panel on the wall and pressed a button. A door opened in the wall. They looked in and found Andre Bartholomew lying on a bed.

"Who?" he asked sitting up.

"It's okay. We're friends. We have defeated Chen and Smith. You are free now," Sonya explained. She helped the man to his feet.

"Thank God! They drugged me and threw me in here. I've been locked up for three weeks." He patted Kurt on the shoulder. "Thank you."

They returned to the main room. Andre looked around. "Very impressive. Are you superheroes?"

" _Ja_. We are X-Men. I'm Nightcrawler and this is Oracol."

"How did you know?"

"We didn't. We were just here on vacation and—"

"On vacation! Well, I will make sure you get the VIP treatment! Just let me get to a phone."

"That's not necessary," Kurt assured him.

"Yes, it is. Just let me get back to my office and I'll take care of everything."

After Smith, Chen and the clones were secured, they teleported to the hotel's lobby. Andre took off barking orders while the X-Men returned to their room to contact Hank and Ororo. During their video conference, two bellboys showed up to move their things to a new room. Though the couple protested, the staff escorted them to the Executive Suite. They were shocked by the upgrade.

"Such decadence," Sonya whispered as they entered their new accommodations.

One of the bellhops gave them a quick tour. There was a large common area with two large couches, two oversized recliners, several posh ottomans, various tables and a 60 inch HD TV with satellite. There was a small kitchen with sink, full size refrigerator, a stove/oven combination, microwave and coffee maker. Between the kitchen and living area was a dining table that could seat six. Off each side of the sitting area was a large bedroom complete with its own bathroom. The suite also had its own large private balcony that overlooked the beach.

"Mr. Bartholomew said to help yourself to anything you want, no charge. Also, any services you desire are no charge."

" _Wunderbar_! _Danke_!" Kurt told him.

"Just pick up the phone if you need anything. Goodnight, Sir," he said nodding to Kurt. "Ma'am." He nodded at Sonya. Kurt walked him to the door and received the keys from him. He tried to give him a tip, but the man wouldn't have it.

Sonya was still looking around the room in awe when she noticed the basket of fruit. "Oh, thank God! We didn't get dinner and I'm starving!" she said. She ripped it open and removed a banana, peeled it and started devouring the fruit.

" _Ja_ , me, too." He took an apple and started eating. Then noticing a bottle in an ice bucket on the living room table, he picked it up to discover it was champagne. " _Wunderbar_!" He put the apple down and removed the foil from the bottle.

Sonya found a radio and switched stations until she found something she liked. She was singing along softly when the pop from the bottle silenced her.

He poured two glasses of the champagne and handed her one. She accepted it gladly and having finished her banana, threw the peel into a nearby trash can. She took a swallow of her drink, then strolled to the doors leading to the balcony. She threw them open and walked outside. Kurt followed. The night was cool, but not uncomfortable. She gazed out at the water below.

"Beautiful," Kurt said.

"Yes, it is."

"I meant you."

She turned towards him. "Don't try your charm on me." She took another drink and gave him a challenging look.

"You know what else we didn't do tonight?" He took a step towards her. She looked at him puzzled. "Finish our dance." He took her almost empty glass and sat it along with his down on a glass table on the balcony.

"That's not..." she started. He pulled her towards him. "…necessary."

He took one of her hands in his and put his free arm around her waist pulling her close. He used that arm to lead her as they started to dance. She locked her free arm around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. They moved together with the music. After a moment, she started singing along with the song.

He listened for a moment. "You have a beautiful voice," he whispered in her ear. She picked up her head and looked at him.

"My family is musical. We performed at weddings and dances in our village, until..." She looked up at the sky.

"I bet you were wonderful." She looked back at him just as the song ended.

"Well...the song's over." She moved to break their embrace, but he held on to her.

"One more." She laid her head back on his shoulder.

 _I could stay here all night_ , she thought.

She softly sang along with the new song as he laid his head against hers.

The second song ended. She lifted her head and looked at him. "Well…Time to return to reality," she declared. She let go of one of his hands and pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. She did a half turn away from him keeping her grip on his other hand and posed, like an over dramatic actor. "I'm sorry, _Draga_ , but…" she started, really hamming it up. She twirled back to face him, resting her free hand on his chest. "I want a divorce!"

"A divorce?! But I thought we were happy! Tell me we can work it out!" He played along, feigning shock.

"It's not you; it's me. Blah, blah, blah…" She bobbed her head slightly from side to side.

"But…What about the children?"

"You keep them. I need my freedom…"

"Well, I guess the only thing left to do then is…kiss and say goodbye…" He pulled her in tight and put his lips to hers. It was just a little peck that lasted only a moment. They separated smiling, but only by inches. Slowly, the smiles faded and almost imperceptivity, their heads moved back towards each other. Their lips met again, but the mood of the encounter was different this time. His hands gently enveloped her back. One of her hands moved to his face, caressing his cheek. They were both taken aback by the passion held within the kiss. It felt as if they truly _were_ two ex-lovers saying goodbye for the final time. When the embrace ended, they were both breathless, their hearts beating wildly.

"I…The champagne…It—it must have gone to my head," she stammered. Her face was flushed. "I should probably lie down." Each searched the other's eyes for a hint of what the other was feeling.

" _Ja_ …" His mouth was dry. He couldn't make any other words come out even though he wanted to say more.

She pulled away and walked towards her bedroom willing her legs to support her. Kurt watched for a few seconds as she moved away then turned his back to her. He leaned down placing his elbows on the railing before him, staring at the moon reflected off the water below him. He tried to collect his thoughts.

Sonya entered her room, closed the door and leaned her back against it. Her knees still felt weak. No man had ever made her feel this way. Her head was spinning. She tried to convince herself it was just the champagne. She let her head rest against the door.

 _That was a mistake_! they both admonished themselves.

 _These past few days…pretending to be Kurt's wife…has felt so…_ natural _._ She looked down at the ring on her finger.

 _Alone. Again. Will I ever not be alone_? He sighed. He mindlessly spun the ring on his finger.

She walked over to the table beside her bed. The staff had courteously left the book she had been reading there. She opened it and pulled out the flower Kurt had put in her hair the last time they had danced. She held it to her nose for a second, then put it back inside the novel and closed it. She pulled the ring off her finger and placed it on top of the book. _But, I don't sense our destiny is romantic. But, then, I don't sense anything with him. It's almost like those clones…_ She sat down on the bed and took off her shoes.

Kurt turned and looked at the door through which Sonya had walked. He wanted to knock on it and when she opened it, take her in his arms and kiss her again, but he dared not. Nein _, it's impossible. I made a promise to someone else…_ he reminded himself. He turned and looked up to the Heavens for guidance. _Oh, Amanda, where are you_? he almost shouted. _Why do I find myself always waiting for you_?

She lay back on the bed. _Could Kurt be a clone or something? Is that why I can't sense him?_ Nu _. Surely, one of the X-Men who has known him for a long time would have noticed_.

 _Must I waste my whole life waiting? Must I grow old alone?_ He picked up his champagne glass. He walked back into the shared area of the suite and sat down on the couch. He drained the glass. He then removed the ring on his finger and dropped it into the glass. He looked at the traditional symbol of love and a lifetime of togetherness sitting in the empty vessel.

* * *

When he awoke the next morning, his head was pounding. After Sonya had gone to bed, he had decided that the champagne would go bad if left to sit open all night, so he had finished the bottle. He now made a mental note that champagne would never be his drink of choice. He slowly arose and sat on the edge of the bed. Obviously not slow enough because his head was spinning and he felt queasy. He walked to the sink and splashed cold water on his face hoping it would help and it did a little. He then looked up and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked as bad as he felt. He splashed a little more water on his face then dabbed it dry. He removed the robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door and pulled it on over his pajama bottoms. Funny, was he now shy around the woman he had pretended to be married to for three days? She had seen his bare chest when they went swimming. There was no reason to cover up now. But, then they had divorced last night. He smiled at the memory of their playful banter the night before.

He went out into the shared area. "Sonya?" he called, then regretted it when his head throbbed worse. He smelled coffee and moved towards it. He found a bottle of aspirin on the table with a note that read: Saw the empty champagne bottle. Thought you might need this. _Bless her_. He poured two of the pills into his palm. He went into the kitchen area, picked up a glass and filled it half way with water from the tap. He downed the aspirins. He then poured himself a cup of the coffee Sonya must have left warming in the coffee maker. It didn't taste very old. He then sat down at the dining table and noticed another note. He picked it up.

"Gone to check on clones, then maybe get a massage. I'll pick up Dr. McCoy from the airport and we'll be back about 10:30. Don't worry about a thing. Enjoy your morning." It was signed S. _She is a true angel_. He looked around trying to locate a clock. He noticed the one on the microwave and tried to focus his eyes on it. It looked like 8:16, he decided. He put the coffee cup down and went back to bed.

* * *

Hank arrived at the suite Sonya and Kurt were occupying at 10:43AM. Kurt was up and dressed in his Nightcrawler uniform. Hank entered, closing the door behind him.

"Henry! Good to see you!" Kurt greeted him brightly.

"Late night?" Hank asked eyeing him. He put his suitcases down in the common area.

" _Ja_." Kurt smiled slyly.

"With our girl?"

"Of course not. She went to bed early—alone. And where is 'our girl'?"

"She said she would get everyone lunch and pick up Mr. Bartholomew. She'll meet us at the clone storage building. Which room is mine?"

"I guess you can bunk with me. It's that one." Kurt pointed to the bedroom he had slept in.

"Oh, no. Storm wants you back with the Blackbird as soon as possible."

"Oh...Guess I'll go and pack."

* * *

Sonya and Andre were waiting when the two blue and furry men exited the elevator. Sonya was studying the controls for the clone's capsules. Andre greeted them and showed them to the food the woman had obtained. Hank picked up a sandwich and started touring the facilities with Andre in tow. After grabbing lunch to go, Kurt said his goodbyes to the two men. He surveyed the room, but discovered the girl had vanished. He shrugged and teleported to the waiting Blackbird.


	7. Chapter 7: Ladies' Night Out

Kurt didn't have to read the white piece of paper taped to the door of the room he and Sonya used for fencing practice to know what it said. She had bailed on every practice session they had scheduled for the last three weeks—ever since returning from Hawaii. He thought hard about the last time he had seen or talked to her. It had to be the glimpse he had caught of her right before he left for the school alone. They had not spoken since the night before— _that_ night. He sighed as he pulled the note off the door and crumpled the piece of paper in his hand _._

 _Should I try to talk to her about it or just let sleeping dogs lie and hope things work themselves out?_ Not that he considered his teammate a dog. No, far from it.

At the same time Kurt was contemplating his predicament, the object of his quandary was working on one of her own. She sat behind Hank and Cecilia staring into a large computer screen that displayed Dr. Reed Richards AKA Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four and Dr. Quinton Lorenz—a top research scientist for S.H.I.E.L.D. They were discussing the clones that had been found in Hawaii—something they had been doing for three weeks.

"We have run every possible test. The clones are physically comparable to any other human on the planet with the exception of their brains, but they are not truly…alive. They breathe, their hearts beat, but without their creator, they are inanimate. They can't think on their own; they can't act on their own. Their brains barely handle the involuntary functions of their bodies and then for only short periods of time. We have already had one subject expire due to being outside of their life-support capsule for too long," Dr. Lorenz stated.

"Dr. McCoy, how has the education program gone?" Dr. Richards asked.

"No progress. They seem incapable of learning. Their brains seem to be incapable of storing information. Our telepaths were unable to pick up any thoughts from their minds and they register no brainwaves."

"And how long did the one subject last outside of the life-support capsule?"

"Three days," the S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist answered.

"We estimate that their bodies will no longer function even with the aid of their life-support capsules within two months," Hank said.

"Seems pretty grim. I don't think there is anything that can be done for them," Dr. Richards uttered.

"Agreed. S.H.I.E.L.D. is recommending termination. We will handle disposal of the bodies," Dr. Lorenz informed them.

"Very well. I will let you know when my test subject is ready for transport," Dr. Richards stated. "Thank you, gentlemen. Richards out." Dr. Richards image went dark.

"Same here," Hank said.

"Thank you, Dr. McCoy." The S.H.I.E.L.D. transmission ended.

Hank pressed the button to end the video conference on their end. He looked at Cecilia, then Sonya. The Romanian's face was stone.

"So that's it?! Just set her in a corner and watch her die?!" Sonya launched into Hank.

"Sonya, I know you spent a lot of time with the clone trying to teach it, but, please, calm down," he told her.

"Calm down? Calm down?" Her voice rose with each word. "And she's a 'she' not an 'it'! I need some air!" She removed her lab coat and attempted to hang it on a hook on the wall, but missed. She let it tumble to the floor and stormed out the door.

She admonished herself as she strode away from the lab. _What is wrong with me? Why do I care about this—this clone? She is nothing! She's not even really alive! Why are all these emotions seething inside me? For so long, all I felt was anger and hate and now that I'm free and in America, I'm overwhelmed by all these other emotions. I have allowed myself to get attached to too many others. I have got to get my feelings in check._

* * *

Out of his bedroom window, Kurt spotted a figure scaling the school's wall. He couldn't see enough detail as the form moved in and out of the artificial lighting to discern who it was, but doubted they posed a threat. It was probably just one of the students getting some exercise.

But, just in case, he teleported to the spot on the rafter where the mystery figure would breach the roof. As the person drew closer, he could make out a feminine silhouette carrying a backpack slung over one shoulder. The female was free climbing, picking her way rather quickly up the building. She wore pants and shirt of all black with a hoodie pulled over her head. He thought he saw strands of dark hair protruding from underneath the hood. As she closed the gap between them, he decided it was Sonya. Once she was within earshot, he asked if she would like a hand and bent down to offer it.

" _Nu_ ," she mumbled. She reached the summit and hoisted herself up and over the edge with ease.

" _Guten Abend,_ _ _fräulein__ ," he said once she was standing erect on the building's summit.

She said nothing but bent down placing her rucksack on the roof's surface and unzipped it. She pulled out a blanket and spread it out. She sat down and extracted two beers wrapped in cloth from her pack. She placed one on the blanket beside her. She opened the other and took a long drink, then leaned back on her elbows. Kurt took up a seat alongside her and opened the other bottle. She pushed the hoodie off her head.

"Meteor shower tonight," she muttered, looking up at the heavens. He followed her gaze. The night sky was crystal clear. They remained silent for several minutes watching the light show above them.

Breaking the quiet, she finally said, "My father used to take the family camping in the woods far away from the lights of the village on nights of meteor showers."

"It must have been lovely," he replied.

" _Da_. We would have a fire and hot chocolate and stay up late watching the shower." A streak of light blazed over their heads. "We would tell stories, sing and enjoy being together."

"You miss your family?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes. Everyone is different now. My brother and sisters have grown up without me. And… _I_ am different."

After a momentary pause, she spoke again, "My father taught me all the constellations. That one is Cassiopeia and that one is Orion." She pointed to each star cluster in turn. She took another deep draft from her bottle.

"Something seems to be troubling you…more than missing home."

She sighed deeply. "Dr. McCoy and I had…a disagreement."

"Oh?"

"I am not good with ethics…or theology."

"Maybe I can help. I studied to be a priest once."

She gave him a quizzical sideways glance. "You truly amaze me, Nightcrawler. The only person on Earth who can surprise me." Her gaze returned to the skies as several small streaks of light danced overhead.

"Well, 'Father', I seek guidance." She waited for him to respond.

"Yes, my child, on what do you seek this guidance?"

"Dr. McCoy, Dr. Reed Richards and S.H.I.E.L.D. have been studying the clones from Paradise. They have now decided that they have learned all they can from them. So, they plan to let Elle—the clone we have here at the school—and the others die…or 'expire' as they so politely put it. Just take her out of her stasis pod and let her slowly fade away."

"I can't believe Henry would agree to that if it wasn't for the best. Perhaps she is suffering?"

"We do not know if she suffers or feels pain or anything for that matter. I don't even know why I'm having a problem with this. She was created by a mutant, not God. She has no brainwaves, no soul. None of the telepaths can read her nor can I. She can't eat, speak, walk or do anything on her own. She's incapable of learning. She'll never have a real life. She'll just stay in that stasis pod until her body deteriorates…but, is it right for us to speed that deterioration? Her body contains the spark of life—well, _a_ spark of life. I suppose it's not the same spark as we who have souls..."

He cringed, barely noticeably, as his shame washed over him. _Some of us have souls_ …

"…but that spark will slowly diminish none the less when we remove her from the pod. One minute she's breathing; the next that breath stops forever. Do we as mortals have the right to make the decision as to when that breath stops? Is it not still murder?"

"Just playing devil's advocate, but, as you said, she wasn't created by God; she was created by another mortal. So, do God's laws apply to her? Is she not just an empty vessel?"

The words 'empty vessel' rang in Sonya's ears—the same words she had heard in her vision. Was it just coincidence?

Kurt continued unaware of the cord he had struck. "She will never have a life outside the stasis pod. If she could speak, do you think that is what she would want?"

She took the last drink of her beer and inhaled deeply, considering his question just as deeply. " _Nu_ …It is not what I would want. I suppose they are right. It's probably best to let her go. I suppose I should go apologize."

"Never apologize for empathy for another being."

"Thank you, 'Father'. I feel better now." She sat up. He followed suit.

"About everything?"

" _Ce_?" She looked at him sharply.

"Some seem to think we have been avoiding each other since we returned from Paradise."

"I see you have been talking to Rachel."

"Henry actually."

"I…we both have been busy."

"And that is why I haven't seen you in three weeks?"

"It seemed appropriate to spend time apart after being together constantly for three days."

"I see. And it has nothing to do with our kiss?"

She rose and grabbed her rucksack. She placed her empty bottle in it and threw it over her shoulder. Walking towards the roof's edge and not looking back at her companion, she said, "We were just fooling around. It meant nothing. I'll see you at fencing practice tomorrow." She started her descent.

* * *

Their practice session the next day was awkward. The distance between them never varied. If one advanced, the other retreated. Neither desired to be within less than a sword's length proximity to the other. All the protective gear added to the feeling of disconnection. Their conversation was scant, kept to a few instructions from Kurt and acknowledgement from Sonya. They were both left feeling out of sync and disconcerted. The joy and camaraderie that usually filled their sessions were lost.

Once practice concluded, Sonya packed her things and started for the door, but stopped abruptly. She turned back to face her mentor.

"You'll probably find this absurd, but will you say a few words when the time comes…for Elle?" she asked quietly. She stared down at the floor. "Not last rights or anything like that."

"Of course, I'll come up with something."

"Thank you, 'Father'." She turned to leave.

"Sonya, why do you call her Elle?"

She remained with her back to him, staring at the exit. "Her stasis pod was number 12, so the twelfth letter of the alphabet 'L' or Elle. I know what it's like to be just a number. I thought she at least deserved a name." She left him alone with his thoughts.

 _And how would you feel if you knew the man you were asking to say a prayer for a dying, soulless woman was soulless as well? Would it change how you feel towards me?_

* * *

Elle remained in the stasis pod, but the container's food and fluid processors were shut off. A white sheet was draped over the receptacle during the waiting period. The clone breathed her last three days after the processors were turned off.

Sonya sent word to Kurt to let him know S.H.I.E.L.D. would be picking up the body for disposal that afternoon. He came to fulfill his promise as soon as he was free. He found her in the lab preparing the pod for pick-up. She ceased her work when he entered.

"Thank you," she told him as he approached.

"I have been trained to perform such duties, but I always hoped I would never have to undertake them. But, more and more, loss is something we cannot avoid. As X-Men, we too often lose those close to us. The hardest part is learning to live on without them. So, if you ever need to talk, know that I am here."

"I am alright. She wasn't friend or family, just another poor creature placed on this Earth for a short time. I have my emotions back under control."

"'Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.'"

Kurt opened the Bible in his hand and started reading: "'For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted…'"

* * *

The tension between the duo eased as the days passed. Sonya apologized to Hank and they returned to their pre-clone working terms—she kept him fed and he allowed her to remain in the lab. Life returned to a modicum of normality.

For her approaching birthday, Rachel decided she wanted a Ladies' Night Out at a club in the city. Ororo and Sonya took some convincing to get them to agree to attend, but after some heavy duty nagging from Rachel and Angelica about how neither left the school much, the roster soon included Ororo, Sonya, Angelica, Warbird, Betsy and Rachel.

On the appointed night of the party, Kurt, Hank and Bobby waited to see their female brethren off. Each woman that entered the foyer was dressed to kill and as lovely as the one that had arrived before her. The men offered several times to act as chaperones, but were rebuffed each time.

"Tonight is ladies only!" Rachel stated. Once all the women were gathered in the foyer, Rachel turned to Warbird and stated, "I said no weapons."

Warbird smirked then pulled a dagger from the top of her pants that had been hidden by her jacket. Rachel accepted the blade and handed it to Hank. She then moved to Sonya, holding her palm out towards the woman. Sonya pulled a small knife from inside of each of her boots and laid them on the outreached hand. Rachel handed these to Kurt.

"Would you guys mind seeing these blades returned to their rightful owners tomorrow?" The men assented.

"I feel naked," Sonya mumbled.

"You of all people will know if there is going to be trouble and can warn us."

"But, you and most of the others are always armed. There is no leaving your powers behind."

"We will be fine. We are going to have fun, not start a war. Anyone else?" Rachel surveyed the line of women. If any more hidden weapons remained, no one fessed up.

* * *

The women were immediately allowed entry into the club.

"What is K-A-R-A-O-K-E?" Sonya asked seeing a sign that pointed to a stair case near the entrance to the club.

"You get up on stage and sing along to canned music," Angelica explained.

"Hmm…I think I will investigate." Sonya separated from the group and climbed the stairs.

The rest of the group found a table in a dark corner of the club. They were almost immediately surrounded by a pack of male suitors.

Ororo offered to remain at the table and watch over the others' personal belongings. The other women each chose a man and took to the dance floor.

 _How can they stand this? It is so loud and crowded,_ Ororo wondered.

She did not find herself alone for very long as Sonya returned from signing up for karaoke. She took the only remaining empty seat at the table. She removed her heavy cotton jacket and draped it over her chair.

"So, little sister, anything new about your future mission?" Ororo asked raising her voice above the music.

Sonya slid down to a seat next to her leader, so she could be heard.

"Only three words. Seeker and empty vessel. I do not know what they mean. And…I cannot see anything past this vision. It's like there is no future past this mission."

"It must be a very important mission indeed."

"Or my last."

"I do not believe that. You and Kurt work well together. You will be successful in your mission. And the X-Men will stand with both of you."

"Then why can't I see past this vision?"

"Perhaps the outcome will greatly affect your future. Until the mission is complete, the future is uncertain."

"I hope so."

"Would either of you lovely ladies like to dance?" a tall man with brown hair slicked back with gel and piercing blue eyes asked.

"You're up. I'll watch the stuff," Sonya told her companion.

Ororo reluctantly agreed and walked with the man to the dance floor.

After dancing through two songs, she returned to find Betsy now guarding the table and only the jacket remained of the Romanian.

* * *

Hawkeye approached the club. The music was loud even outside the club. He was incognito trading his uniform for jeans, a black T-shirt, black leather jacket and his trademark purple-hued glasses. Upon examining the crowd, he wondered how he would ever find his target, but then, the X-Women stood out from a crowd. As he neared the line to get into the club he heard: "Hey! Good looking!"

He turned and saw a dark haired woman leaned against the wall of the club. "I'm sorry. I'm meeting some—"

As the woman moved closer, he realized it was the person for which he was looking. "Hey, that was a pretty good American accent," he told her.

"Thanks, I've been practicing."

"So, what brings a nice boy like you out to a place like this?"

"You. We need to talk. Somewhere quieter."

She turned and started towards the club's side alley. "Skin," she called back to him as he moved his hand towards the middle of her back. The removal of her jacket had revealed a sleeveless black top that plunged in the front and rear. Her long black curls covered most of the scars on her back.

 _Yeah, a lot of it_ , he thought.

Once they reached the alley, they faced each other. He got right to the point. "S.H.I.E.L.D. wants you to come in for a dialogue."

"Interrogation you mean."

"They think you are some mercenary called The Dark Lady."

"I see…"

"They talked to a guy called Koulakova—"

"And he fed them lots of lies."

"Yes, but Widow has a way of getting to the truth. We know that he forced you to work for him."

"Widow. Should have known."

"They just want some information. They wanted to pick you up at the school, but I told them it could lead to a battle between the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. and nobody wants that. I came to talk you into turning yourself in peacefully."

"And how did you know I was here?"

"A group of beautiful female superheroes in a club hardly goes unnoticed." He tapped the phone in his jacket pocket.

"The Tweeter again."

"Twitter."

"Whatever. I'm sorry, but I can't turn myself in right now. I have had a vision of an important mission that I must complete. It's the reason I came to America and joined the X-Men."

"This won't take long. Just come with me and answer a few questions."

"It will take longer than you think."

"Look, they mainly just want to know about some guy named Turov."

He watched as every muscle in the woman's body tensed. Before his eyes, she transformed into a deadly coiled snake ready to strike. "Tell S.H.I.E.L.D. that if they try to take me in, there will be war!" She turned to leave.

He took the only action he could think of to diffuse the situation, he grabbed her bare arm. As his skin touched hers, he heard her sudden intake of air. He felt the muscles in her arm relax. She turned back to him and he placed his free hand on her other arm.

"You—you fought Fury for me. You threatened to quit. You don't believe the things they said about me."

"I don't believe you are a killer. I've known a lot of killers in my life and you don't have the personality."

"Clint, I've committed a lot of sins for which I will have to pay."

"So you know my real name?"

"Price you pay for touching me."

"Well, I learned the 'S' stands for Sonya."

"Widow is such a good little spy."

"Look, we've all got demons in our past. Just turn yourself in. I'll stand by your side. I'll be right there with you."

" _Nu_. I must face my demons alone. I don't want you involved."

"Sonya, I'm no angel. I have done things, too. Nothing is going to change the way I feel about you."

"I need time—the mission."

"How much?"

"Two months at the most. Can you convince Fury to wait that long? If I promise to turn myself in and guarantee no retribution from the X-Men?"

"I think I can buy you two months."

"Thank you. Well, it's almost my turn at the Karaoke, so I'd better get back."

They walked back to the front of the club. "So…can I come in with you?"

"Probably not a good idea. Warbird is on the hunt for a man and she would eat you alive."

"But, you'd protect me, right?"

"Not a chance."

He leaned in to kiss her. She took a step back.

"Not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I—I see lots of other women in your life."

"It's complicated."

"It always is. And you don't need me making it even more complicated. Things are going to get rocky. You need to distance yourself from me. Goodnight, Mr. Barton. Oh and during your next mission, take out the opponent on the right first."

She went back into the club and returned to the table to find Ororo and Rachel seated this time.

Ororo asked, "Has anyone seen Warbird?"

Sonya reached out with her powers through the gyrating, crowded club to locate her target. "Oh! You do _not_ want to know! That is an image that will be hard to get out of my head!" When the waitress appeared, she ordered a strong drink.

* * *

The next morning Hank and Kurt crossed paths in one of the school's many halls and stopped to converse.

"The women are still not up?" Hank asked.

" _Nein_. They must have had a _really_ good time last night."

They spotted Bobby coming down the hall with a bongo strapped around his neck.

"The girls up yet?" he asked. He was informed they weren't. "I'll wake them up." He started towards the women's dormitories.

"Bobby, that's not a good idea," Hank warned him.

The young man did not stop, so the others followed to watch the show.

Once outside what he knew was Angelica's room, he started beating his bongo and singing at the top of his lungs.

It took a couple of minutes for Angelica's window to open and her head to appear. Her hair was a mess and she was clutching her robe closed. She didn't appear well.

"Bobby, so help me, I will melt you down to a puddle!" she screamed, then regretted it after her head pounded harder.

A window on the second floor opened. A dagger flew out and struck the bongo an inch from Bobby's hand. The window shut again.

"Wow! Hung over and Sonya's still a perfect shot," commented Hank.

"Unless she was aiming for his head," added Kurt. "That reminds me…I need to give her back her two daggers."

Bobby stared nervously at the knife stuck in the drum. "Please…not until after she is in a better mood."


	8. Chapter 8: Never Spy on a Spy

Kurt strolled into Ororo's office with the day's mail. " _Guten tag_ ," he told her when she looked up.

"Good afternoon, Kurt."

"Mail's in."

"Anything good?"

He held up a large envelope. "Something from a financial firm for Santo? It must be a mistake."

"I believe it's for Sonya."

"Sonya handles Santo's finances?"

"She opened an account in his name."

"Wait. A clairvoyant buying and selling stocks?"

"She wanted to earn her own money. I told her I didn't want to know."

"Probably better that way." He flipped through the rest of the mail. "A few bills. Some magazines, letters for some of the students and something from the New York Foundation for the Arts." He held out a tan envelope.

She accepted and opened it. "Professor Xavier's foundation still gives a lot of money to charities." From the envelope, she poured out two tickets to a Broadway production of _The Phantom of the Opera—_ box seats. She showed them to Kurt. "A thank you for his support. Know anyone who would want these?"

"Maybe Sonya. She's musical."

She handed him the tickets. "Can you offer them to her when you give her the other envelope?"

"Sure."

He left the room with the tickets and the envelope addressed to Santo in his hand. On his way to Sonya's room, he discovered Bobby looking out a window that overlooked the front of the school. "What's up?"

"That Avenger is back."

"Oh?" Kurt joined him at the window. Outside, Sonya was standing in the driveway talking to Hawkeye.

"What do you think he wants?" Bobby mused.

"Probably needs help on another mission."

The couple below moved towards the side of the building. The two men stepped back from the window.

"I think he's trying to steal her away. Get her to join the Avengers or something. If she was my girl, I'd spy on them and find out what he's up to."

"First, she is not 'my girl'. Second, I would never spy on her. And third, she has the right to make whatever choices she wants."

"Sure take the moral high ground, but I, for one, will miss her when she's gone." Bobby walked off.

Kurt teleported to his room and laid the mail down on the table in front of the couch. He went to the refrigerator and removed a bottle of water. He opened it and took a drink. He thought about what Bobby had said.

 _I would miss her, too._

He put the water down and teleported to a window on the side of the school that would allow him to see where the duo had gone. He watched as they approached the lake. They sat down on a park bench that looked out on the lake. A great tree that had already leafed out for the spring shaded their perch. He teleported onto one of the large branches that hung near their heads. A perfect position to stealthily listen to the couple's conversation.

"…no one around, we can speak here," Sonya was saying.

"Fury has agreed to accept your offer."

"Good. I'm glad."

Kurt shifted in his hiding place. _What offer? Could she really be leaving to join S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers? What about our future mission?_

"Sonya, when this is over, let's go somewhere. Somewhere far, far away for a while."

"You and me?"

"Yes."

"What about S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers?"

"I'll take a sabbatical. I've got plenty of leave time coming to me."

"I don't know…"

"We could go out West. Maybe Montana. You would love it. Lots of wide open areas. Beautiful."

Nein! _She can't leave! But what can I do to stop her?_

A mockingbird landed on the branch beside him and started chirping angrily. He waved his hand at it until it flew off.

On the bench below, Sonya was attracted by the sound and her eyes darted in that direction. Below the leaves of the tree, she spotted the spiked end of Kurt's tail.

"Sounds very nice. I'll have to look it up on the internet. I'll think about it." She smiled sweetly at Hawkeye. Since his back was to the tree, she reached her left hand behind her head pretending to have an itch. She pulled the tiny T-handle dagger from her vest collar and threw it. She let her arm fall to the back of the bench. Her companion did not seem to note her action.

Kurt heard the soft thunk of the dagger striking the tree. He looked down and saw the blade had landed within an inch of his exposed tail. He quickly retracted it into the foliage. He looked back at the couple to find Sonya staring at his position and decided it was time to leave.

He returned to his loft and paced the floor. _She saw me! She is going to be so angry! How am I going to convince her to stay now?_

In about fifteen minutes, the dreaded knock at his door came. _That has to be Sonya._ He opened the door and found he was correct.

"How dare you spy on me!" She was angry. She pushed past him and into the room. He closed the door and turned to face her wrath.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

She walked deeper into the room, then turned on him again. "Why? What did you hope to learn?"

"I was worried that Hawkeye was asking you to leave the X-Men and join the Avengers or something."

"And what if he was? It's no concern of yours!"

"I feel responsible for you. You came to America and joined the X-Men because of me."

"I came because I foresaw a mission I must undertake. I came to save the world. You are just part of that vision. I did _not_ come because of you."

"You're an important part of the X-Men now. We would miss you greatly if you left…especially Annabelle."

"Annabelle? And what about you?"

"I would miss you. You are a valuable teammate."

"I see. And you often violate the trust of valuable teammates?"

He reached for her, but she sidestepped him. "I wasn't thinking. I—I care for you and I don't want you to leave."

"I can't look at you right now. I'm not sure if I can ever trust you again." She moved to leave the room.

"Sonya, wait!"

She stopped. Out of desperation he picked the tickets up off the table. He teleported between her and the door.

"I have these tickets to a Broadway musical. Please, take them as a peace offering.…Maybe you could get Hawkeye to take you."

She took the tickets from his hand and looked at them. She laughed. "Hawkeye wouldn't be caught dead at—. Wait. Is this something you would enjoy?"

" _Nein_. I've seen it and did not care for it."

"Then, you will take me as an apology."

" _Nein_. I'll find—"

She let the tickets tumble to the floor and rounded him. She reached the door and turned the knob.

"Wait," he said softly. He picked the ticket up. "I will take you."

"Apology accepted."

She opened the door and walked through it. Once she had closed it behind her, she reached out to find Angelica. She located her in her room and headed that way.

"Angelica, I need your help," she said when the red-head opened the door.

"What's up?" She allowed the other woman entry.

"What does one wear to a Broadway show?"

"Hawkeye asked you out? That's wonderful!"

" _Nu_. Kurt. He's apologizing for a slight."

"Again? I swear you two spend more time apologizing then training."

"I know, but will you help me?"

"Of course. Matinee or evening show?"

"Evening."

"Okay, we're going to need a nice dress. We'll have to go shopping."

She grabbed Sonya's chin and turned her head side to side. "I'll do your hair and makeup. And…" She went into her bathroom and came back with a pair of tweezers.

"Sit down in this chair." Sonya obliged.

"I've been wanting to clean up your eyebrows for a while. Look up and hold still."

"Ow!" Sonya wailed as her friend plucked the first stray hair.

"Sorry. Think happy thoughts."

"Ow! Like throwing you out that window?"

"I can fly you know!"

"Doesn't make it any less of a happy thought. OW!"

* * *

Kurt waited nervously at the bottom of the stairs near the front door to the school. He busied himself checking his tie. He had dug out his favorite suit for tonight, a dark grey single breasted ensemble. He had paired it with a pale lavender cotton shirt and a grey and lavender striped tie. He had even polished his patent leather shoes.

When he heard a noise on the stairs he turned to see Sonya carefully navigating the steps. She wore an azure sleeveless dress made of gossamer material with a plunging neckline and wide belt accented with rhinestones that flowed to just above her knees. On her feet were four inch black stilettoes that were causing her difficulty with the stairs. She carried a small silver clutch and a shimmering grey pashmina loosely wrapped about her waist and elbows. Her dark hair was gently pulled back, braided and rolled into double buns at her neck. Kurt noticed she was wearing makeup. It was very subtle, except the dark eyeliner that made her eyes stand out like polished emeralds. He caught his breath and wondered if the Oracle of Delphi had been such a vision of beauty.

"You look stunning!" he told her as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Thank you. And you are very handsome tonight. I must give credit to Angelica and Rachel for my look, though—"

At the mention of their names, the two women bounded down the stairs. Rachel held a camera in her hand.

"Just a picture or two!" she pleaded.

"You two look exquisite!" Angelica added looking them up and down.

The couple posed politely for about a dozen pictures, then took their leave. Kurt had already moved the school's Mercedes-Benz sedan to the front of the building. He assisted his date down the front stairs and into the car. As they drove towards the city, neither said anything for the first five minutes. He became increasing worried that she was still angry with him, so he asked.

" _Nu_. I realize you were just worried about me," she assured him.

"I'm glad you understand."

"But—I am not your responsibility and I am not helpless. You must accept that I may someday leave."

"With Hawkeye?"

" _Nu_ , Hawkeye…is in love with someone else. I'm not dumb enough to fall for a man who is in love with someone else."

"Ah. I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry about."

They were quiet again. She occupied herself by watching the world go by outside the car window.

After he parked the car, Sonya touched the rearview mirror to show him the box seats for which they had tickets. They had decided that he would teleport there so not to draw unnecessary attention.

"I'll see you in a minute," he told her as he handed her one of the tickets. She exited the car and joined the crowd entering the theater.

With the sound of rushing air, he teleported to the box seats to await his teammate. The box was extremely luxurious and private. He took one of the four available chairs and looked around the theater. It was already about a quarter of the way full.

When he heard sounds outside the door to the box, he arose and moved into the shadows where he melted from sight.

"This is your box, Miss," a male voice said.

"Thank you." The door opened.

"You look very lovely tonight," the young usher commented.

"Thank you."

"I love your accent. Where are you from?"

"Romania."

"Cool. You're waiting for someone?" He motioned towards the beer and glass of wine in her hands.

" _Da_. My date should be here soon."

"I'll show him in when he arrives."

"Thank you."

"Enjoy the show, Miss." The man closed the door.

Kurt exited the shadows. She handed him the beer.

" _Danke, liebchen_. I think the usher was flirting with you."

"Really? I think he was just being nice." She sat down on one of the chairs.

" _Nein_. I believe he was quite smitten with you."

"Hmm…Maybe I should have let Angelica fix me up a long time ago."

"You are a beautiful woman even without all the frills." For a fraction of a second he thought he saw a flash of rose in her cheeks.

"And you are still trying to get back on my good side."

She took a sip of wine and scanned the theater. "Such excitement. I sense it all around us."

He watched as she rose and peered over the railing of the box. She remained there until the lights blinked indicating the show was about to start. When she took her seat, she sat on the edge of it and stayed there through the entire first half. She was completely transfixed by the action on the stage. Once the lights came on for intermission, she turned to her companion.

"Wow! This is amazing! Thank you so much for bringing me."

"You are welcome. I am glad you are enjoying it."

"I'll get us some more drinks." She left.

 _For some reason, I'm not disliking this show as much as I did the first time. Maybe her enthusiasm is contagious._

He again disappeared into the shadows when he heard the usher's voice.

"Your date still hasn't shown up, Miss?" he asked as he opened the door for her.

"I guess he was delayed."

"If I was him, I would never stand up such a beautiful woman."

She smiled. "I'm sure he has a good reason."

"Yes, ma'am. Well, enjoy the rest of the show."

"Thank you." He closed the door.

" _Ja_. He's really taken with you," Kurt said.

"He's just a boy." She gave him a new beer.

"Some women like younger men."

"I like men, not boys."

The lights blinked and they took their seats. She remained just as enthralled through the second half of the show. When it ended, they both stood and clapped. Once the sound of applause faded, Sonya told him she would meet him at the car. As she turned to leave, she froze and her eyes clouded, surrounded by the telltale aurora.

"Sonya?"

"Child in danger." Her eyes cleared.

"Where?"

She didn't have her cellphone, so she held up her empty wine glass. On the surface of the glass was reflected a scene of a boy of about five and his mother walking on a sidewalk. "Two blocks to the east."

He touched her shoulder. They disappeared in a puff of smoke. The wine glass hit the carpeted floor just as the young usher opened the door and said "Ma'am?"

They reappeared across the street from the mother and son just as the ball the boy was holding slipped from his grasp. It bounced towards the road. The child broke from his mother and ran after it. Kurt saw the car going way too fast careening towards the boy. He teleported, leaving Sonya standing on the sidewalk. He swooped the boy up and teleported him back to his mother's side just before the car struck the child. Sonya ran after him once the road was clear. He put the boy down in front of his mother who was in shock.

"Get away from him! You monster!" the woman screamed, grabbing the frightened boy.

"How dare you! He just saved your son! You should be grateful! I think _you_ are the monster!" Sonya yelled as she caught up to them.

"I—I—I'm sorry. T—thank you." The woman picked up her son and disappeared into the night.

"Let's go," Kurt said.

"I'm sorry. I lost my temper. I have ruined the night's mood."

"It's alright. The woman was just frightened."

"May we walk a bit?"

"Sure."

They walked for several blocks in silent until they reached the water's edge. Sonya pulled her shawl tightly around her as they looked out at the river.

"I think you do not like the play because it is too close to home," she said quietly.

" _Was_?"

"A man that is feared and hated for the way he looks, so he hides away. We mutants are similarly hated and feared because of what we are. Many of us hide from the world."

"I suppose…"

She turned to face him. "You and the other X-Men have been doing this longer than I. How…how do we keep from going insane like the Phantom?"

"By banding together to support each other. By helping each other keep the faith.

"When I agreed to join the X-Men, Charles Xavier promised to help me become a whole person, to become the best Kurt Wagner there could be. Every day, I strive to make that promise a reality. I strive to help others, mutants and non-mutants.

"Annabelle and the other students, they need us to set an example, to show them that mutants and non-mutants can live in harmony.

"By helping that young boy tonight, maybe, just maybe, he will grow up not hating mutants. Maybe, he will grow up remembering when two mutants saved his life. And by that, we change the way the world sees us."

"I never met your Charles Xavier. You will have to be the one that helps me keep the faith."

He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "I will try. I will stay by your side. Through Heaven or Hell. I will be there," he said softly. They held each for a few minutes.

 _Amanda, please forgive me. I tried not to fall for this woman, but I can't fight my feelings any longer. I can't keep waiting for you. I can't chance losing this woman_.

Sonya raised her face from his chest. "I seem to keep forcing you to save lost little boys."

"That's what heroes do."

"I don't even have brownies to thank you with this time."

"You can give me something else."

" _Ce_?"

"A kiss."

She pulled away and took a step back. She looked at him with astonishment. "So what—we can avoid each other for several weeks until something forces us to talk and then have an extended period of awkwardness. No thanks. Things are just now getting back to normal." She turned back to the water.

He closed the gap between them and placed his hand on her shoulder. "That was only because we were fighting our feelings for each other. Sonya, I don't want to hide my feelings any more."

She turned back to look at him. "I told you I don't sense any romantic future for—"

"You don't sense any future for us! You don't sense anything from me! Isn't that what you've said?"

" _Da_ , but—"

"I think you're afraid!"

"Of what?"

"A leap of faith. Of any situation that you haven't already seen played out in your pretty little head."

 _Could he be right?_

Ever since she had learned to control her gifts, she had always stepped through all possible scenarios of a situation before choosing her action.

She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. This man was an enigma, a wildcard, an unknown variable. Could this man with the soul of an angel, appearance of a demon and heart of a pirate navigate her through unchartered seas? She made her decision. She took a leap of faith—straight into his arms. She kissed him like she had wanted to kiss him every day since they had left Paradise. He was stunned at first, then wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight. She let all her emotions wash over her—fear, uncertainty, passion, love. She did not grab hold of any one of them. She just—experienced.

When the long tender kiss ended, she looked into his yellow eyes.

"So, what now?"

"Now…we see where this path leads."


	9. Chapter 9: Soulmates

Happiness is oft fleeting, especially in the life of a X-Man, so once Kurt and Sonya had decided to embrace their feelings, they didn't waste time. The next couple of weeks were a whirlwind. They spent every free moment together. This particular day they had decided to have a picnic similar to the one they had enjoyed in Paradise. After lunch, they laid with their bodies perpendicular, her head resting on his chest. The sun shone bright and a warm spring breeze caressed their skin as they shared past adventures.

"So, Logan changed my image inducer to make me look like Angelina Jolie and the paparazzi took a picture of me and Piotr which made it into the national papers," he told her. They both laughed.

"Logan was a practical joker then?"

" _Ja_. We had many good times. He felt I shouldn't use the inducer to hide my appearance."

"He was a wise—" She sat up suddenly, her eyes white surrounded by a green tinged aurora.

"Uh-oh." He sat up, too.

"Our destiny has arrived. The mystery man from my vision will soon be in Storm's office." She started picking up the remnants of their meal and putting them in the picnic basket.

He stood, taking her hand and lifting her up in front of him.

"Now that the time has arrived, I am…apprehensive," she confessed staring hard into his face trying to memorize each hair that covered it.

He stroked her cheek. "Sonya, through Heaven or Hell, I will stand with you. No matter what, I will be by your side," he whispered.

She smiled. They shared a long, lingering kiss, neither wanting it to end.

"'It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves'," she quoted when it did end.

"Shakespeare. Very nice." He kissed her again then held her close.

When they finally parted, they gathered up all their stuff and teleported to the kitchen to drop it off. They then teleported outside Ororo's office. They heard voices through the open doorway. He knocked softly on the door frame and once invited in, they did so holding hands.

Their leader stood with a dark haired man with silver at his temples. He wore dark pants, a long blue billowing shirt tied with a gold sash and matching gloves. He was shrouded in a long red and gold cape that climbed above his head in a large raised collar and was cinched at the throat with a large gold medallion. From his odd garb, Sonya recognized immediately that he was the faceless man from her vision.

"Ah, I was about to call you two," Ororo stated, greeting the new arrivals. "But I guess you knew that." She turned back to her visitor. "Doctor Strange, this is Nightcrawler and Oracol. And this is Doctor Strange." She motioned to each individual as she introduced them. "He has asked for the X-Men's help."

The man approached Sonya and stood before her, studying her. "Oracol. Yes, very fitting. Actually it is your help for which I have come."

"I know. I have had visions of you."

"I have a story to tell you."

Sonya was unnerved by the man's intense stare and took a small step back holding tight to Kurt's hand. The man started his story.

"A thousand years ago there was a powerful and benevolent sorcerer called Goragol. He was kind to the villagers near him and helped all who asked.

"One day as he was treating a sick girl, he saw a fireball fall to Earth. He traveled for two days until he found the spot where the object had struck. When he climbed down into the massive crater the object had made, he found a beautiful yellow jewel. He took the jewel home and set it into an intricately carved gold staff. He soon found that the staff gave him great power and prolonged life. He kept it with him at all times. All who saw it were impressed with its beauty until their benevolent wizard became less and less so. He stopped helping people and began demanding gold and other payment from them. He tortured any who opposed him and performed other unspeakable acts. He built a huge castle and declared himself king of the region, gathering an army and attacking neighboring regions to bring more and more territory under his reign. With his staff, Goragol seemed invincible.

"The king of a nearby country heard the story of the sorcerer and his staff. He knew he had to do something to stop the wizard or his land would fall. So, he sent his beautiful daughter and bravest knight to beg mercy from the sorcerer. His daughter beguiled the wizard and got him drunk. As he slept, the knight stole the staff and the two escaped back to the king.

"The king knew that Goragol would come for the staff, so he sent the knight on a quest to find another sorcerer spoke of in legend. The knight searched for this man for months, staying just ahead of Goragol's legions. Finally, he was able to locate him and begged him to help. The wizard took mercy on him and using the staff helped defeat Goragol. He then trapped his opponent in a cave sealed with a large enchanted rock. The spell was powerful, but would only hold the defeated wizard for one thousand years.

"The sorcerer knew that once free, Goragol would search for the staff. So, he opened a portal to another dimension and he and the knight hid the staff away where it was protected by another spell and the knight who was transformed into an immortal guardian." He paused.

"Doctor, I may come from a land steeped in the legend of Dracula, but I'm having a hard time with all this talk of magic and other dimensions," Sonya stated.

"Regardless, the one thousand years are almost up and Goragol will soon be free. We need to retrieve the staff and use it to defeat him again."

"How? What does this have to do with me?"

"According to legend, the staff can only be located by a seeker who knows not magic and can only be freed by a sorcerer."

"Seeker…I heard that word in my vision. I…am the seeker, aren't I?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"But, Kurt—I saw him in the vision, too. He figures into this somehow. He is not a sorcerer. What part does he play? And I also heard the words 'empty vessel'. What does it mean?"

"Interesting." Doctor Strange stepped to Kurt giving him an intense once over. "Yes, this will work nicely." He turned back to Sonya. "I believe he is your way home."

" _Ce_? Can't you bring us home? Aren't you the sorcerer who will free the staff after I locate it?"

"No. I need to remain here. I have seen Goragol's minions spreading across the land searching for you. I fear they will attack the school if I'm not here to lead them elsewhere."

"The children…Annabelle. Yes, you must stay and protect the school. So, how is Kurt my way home?"

"You will need an anchor to this world. A connection that will allow you to open the portal and return home after you find the staff. You will need to leave part of your soul behind—"

"My soul? But how? Won't I die?"

"No. You will not even notice. But we need a vessel to hold it. A living body is best, but a person holding two souls is often driven mad. Nightcrawler will be a perfect vessel, since he has no soul. _He_ is the empty vessel."

Her head snapped to her companion. " _Ce_?! You have no soul?"

He dropped his head. His shame was now public. _She finally knows the truth. Will it change her feelings?_

"I—I died and went to Heaven. But in order to return to Earth, I had to pay a price—my soul. I had no choice. It was the only way to save the afterlife from my father."

"You…died? And came back? And gave up your soul? This is so unbelievable." She placed her hand on his cheek. "But, if anyone deserves a second chance at Heaven, it is you, _Draga_." Over her shoulder, she told Doctor Strange, "I will gladly give him part of my soul."

" _Nein_! You can't!"

"It's not your choice. It's mine." She turned to the other man. "Doctor, if you must remain here, then who is this sorcerer that will free the staff?"

"There is already a sorcerer in this other dimension. She has been trapped there for some time, but you can bring her home. She is one of my apprentices, Amanda Sefton."

" _Nein_! Sonya, you cannot do this! You cannot go!"

" _Ce_?! I don't understand…this is the whole reason I came to America and joined the X-Men. The reason I found you. I must go on this mission and save the world. How can you say I cannot do this?"

"I cannot lose you too to the afterlife."

"Too? You know this woman?"

"We need to talk." He placed his hands on her shoulders and they disappeared.

Ororo turned to Doctor Strange. "So…would you care for a cup of tea?"

"That would be lovely."

* * *

Sonya and Kurt materialized in his loft.

"I don't need to be clairvoyant to see you recognized that name," she stated.

He held onto her as if she was slipping through his fingers. "She…she's my sister. Adopted sister. And…I should have told you about her before, but there was never a right time. We dated on and off through the years."

"And…when she became trapped in the afterlife, were you off or on?"

"On." His voice was barely audible.

She pulled away. "I see. How could I have been so stupid to fall for a man who could lie to me? Who can hide the truth from me?" She walked towards the door. He teleported in front of her blocking her exit.

"Please, we must talk about this," he begged.

She crossed her arms. He could see the anger in her seething just below the surface.

"I don't see anything to talk about. I was what? A distraction until your true love returned?"

" _Nein_! I care deeply for you." He tried to replace his hands on her shoulders to sooth her, but she shrugged them off. "Amanda was so far away and I didn't know when or if she would ever return or if we would still feel the same about each other when she did. I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean to fall for you. I tried not to, but I couldn't stop myself."

"I…need to think…and so do you. This mission will give us both time and distance." She stepped around him and continued to the door.

His head fell to his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut.

She opened the door then paused. Not looking back, she said, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I will need something of hers. I'm sure you can manage that…" She slammed the door behind her.

He wanted to go after her, but remained where he was, head down, wretched, his heart and soul lost. He was in such pain. He howled in torment. How could he lose both the women he loved like this? He looked up and shouted at the sky, "When will I be forgiven for abandoning Heaven?"

* * *

Sonya returned to Ororo's office dressed in her uniform and carrying a rucksack. Several of the other X-Men had come to see her off. Kurt stood aloof from the others. He approached her as she entered and held out a scarf. She opened the rucksack and he placed it inside, then she crossed to Doctor Strange without saying a word to anyone.

"I have one question. This other dimension must be large. How will I travel great distances in it?" she asked him.

"There are still bamfs there," Kurt spoke up. "I'm sure they will help you. Just avoid the red ones."

"They come in different colors? Thank you." To Doctor Strange, she said "I am ready."

"I am sorry, but this is going to hurt."

She put down the bag and prepared herself. Doctor Strange motioned for Kurt to stand at her side. He said a few words in Latin and the medallion on his chest opened to reveal an eye—a living, moving eye. The couple's bodies rose slightly off the ground and they were bathed in a light that emanated from the medallion. Sonya cried out as a small brightly glowing object emerged from her chest. It floated towards Kurt and disappeared into his. As the light faded, they were both restored to the floor. She fell forward, but Kurt caught her and helped her to recover.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

" _Da_." She clutched her chest. "You?"

"Tingly and oddly very alive."

Doctor Strange said a few more words and a shimmering door appeared before the couple. It was the same object Sonya had seen in her vision. She bade her teammates a quick goodbye, then stepped through the shining portal. She turned back to see her friends one last time. Her eyes fell on Kurt and stayed with him till the portal shut.

She looked around her. The sight was astonishing, like seeing the entire universe spread out before her. Other planets appeared to be near enough to touch. She knew this could not be her universe because the pull of such large planetary objects so close together would have ended in great destruction. She spun in a slow circle taking it all in. She was dumbstruck. She saw no buildings or other structures. She gradually realized she was completely alone. There was no sound. Complete serenity.

She looked at the ground. It was shrouded in some kind of mist. She tried to blow it away to see what the soil looked like, but it wouldn't budge. She tentatively reached down and touched it. It felt like shredded paper, but appeared firm.

"How could Kurt leave this place?" She felt a pang of anger. "KURT WAGNER!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

A long way away something stirred at the sound of a familiar name. A name spoken with such anger and anguish. A small translucent jellyfish like creature pulled itself free of the muck it had been buried in, hovered in the air for a moment then moved towards the name.

"Kurt Wagner! I…what? Hate you? _Nu_ , that's not right. Despise you? _Nu_. Love you?" She sighed and dropped heavily to the ground. She knew she had found the correct word.

* * *

Back at the school, Kurt stared at the spot where the portal had been a second ago.

Rachel squeezed her friend's arm. "She'll be okay. She's tough. She'll be home before you know it," she assured him.

He thanked her then vanished in a puff of smoke.

"He does realize he just sent his girlfriend to find his ex-girlfriend, right?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, I think he knows, Idiot! Do _you_ know when to keep your mouth shut?" Angelica asked.

* * *

 _So now what?_ Sonya asked herself. _I could just sit here forever enjoying the view…but then the world will probably be destroyed and I would miss my friends and family._

 _I could find the staff by myself and leave this sorceress trapped here, but I can't free it without magic according to Doctor Strange. So…I guess I have find this Amanda Sefton, complete the mission and return her to Earth_.

 _And then what? What do I do after she and Kurt are reunited?_

 _I guess I could travel around the country with Clint, but one of us would probably kill the other after a day or two. Or I could go home, go to university, get married, have lots of kids and get fat. Or I could stay with the X-Men, but it would be too painful seeing Kurt every day_.

She sighed deeply and laid back to stare into eternity, turning the options over in her head.

* * *

Rachel located Kurt sitting on the roof of the school. Using her telekinetic powers, she flew up and landed beside him. For a moment they were both silent staring out over the landscape. She could see and feel his pain.

"How are you doing, old friend?" she finally asked.

"I am…in pain. I feel like I'm being ripped in two. I love them both, Rachel, equally, but differently. One is the morning sun and the other is the evening star. One is science, the other magic. One is my heart, the other my soul. I can't live without either of them. How can I choose between them? What do I do when…if they return?"

"They will return. They're both strong and powerful in their own right. They will be fine." She didn't know how to answer his questions, so she asked one of her own, "So…you gave up your soul to return to Earth and stop Azazel?"

" _Ja_."

"I don't think anyone knew. You didn't change."

"I did, but no one noticed. I worked hard to hide the fact. But, I lost my purpose. I didn't care if I lived or died anymore."

"And now that you carry part of Sonya's soul?"

"It's like she's here with me. I can feel her strength, her compassion, her determination. I'm humbled by the beauty of her soul. And I'm honored to be carrying it. I feel more alive than I have in a very, very long time."

"That's a good thing. Just concentrate on that."

Below them, Doctor Strange had left and the other X-Men returned to their normal duties. Bobby and Angelica walked down a hall together.

Bobby was thinking about the events he had witnessed. "So…if Kurt is carrying part of Sonya's soul, what happens if one of them dies? Does the part of the soul carried by the dead person go to the living person or does the whole soul go to Judgement or what?"

"First, if Kurt dies, then Sonya has no way home and the world will probably be destroyed and second, if Sonya dies, then the world will probably be destroyed, so I'd be more worried about what's going to happen when we all die."

* * *

Sonya forced herself to sit up. "Well, a hero can't save the world sitting on her butt feeling sorry for herself. Time to make a new friend." She reached into her rucksack and pulled out a giant-sized chocolate bar. "I wonder if I will need food here?" she mused. "Oh, well…"

She remembered Kurt had said the bamfs were telepathic, so she reached out with her mind. "Hello? Any bamfs nearby? I need one of you guys to help me with an important mission." She added hastily, "But only a blue one!" She waited, but nothing happened.

"There is a reward!"

A lone blue bamf materialized in front of her. "Bamf!" it said.

"Hello, little one. My name is Sonya and I need your help."

She could hear the creature's voice in her head. "You want to see the reward. Okay." She pulled back part of the foil encasing the chocolate bar and broke off a piece. She showed it to the bamf.

"This is chocolate. It is highly desired where I come from—at least by the female population. You eat it. It is delicious. Try it." She gave the piece to the bamf. It hardily ate it.

"Choc!" it said.

"Yes, chocolate. It's good, huh? If you help me, you can have the whole bar." She wrapped the candy back up. "All you have to do is teleport me to a special place."

"Bamf!"

"Well, I don't know yet. I have to locate someone."

She placed the candy bar back in the rucksack and pulled out the scarf Kurt had placed there. She took a deep breath and braced herself. She would have to concentrate to only see its owner's location. She laid the scarf across her lap and removed one of her gloves then picked up the scarf.

She was hit by a myriad of images. She saw Kurt and Amanda as children growing up in the circus. She saw how he first used his powers to save her from a trapeze accident. She saw Amanda call Kurt for help when their brother Stephan turned evil and started killing children thinking they were demons. She saw Amanda move to America. Their first kiss. Their relationship blossom.

She let the scarf fall from her hand. Her head was spinning. She was breathing hard. How could she compete with this other woman? She and Kurt had been together for so many years, through so many ups and downs.

Something in this dimension was affecting her powers. This timeline, this place was foreign, difficult for her to read. She took another deep breath and picked the scarf back up. She forced herself to concentrate on this dimension's present. She saw a blond woman in a costume standing near a castle. A female form with red hair floated beside her and a short male in a yellow, blue and black uniform stood beside her.

"Did you see the location?" she asked the bamf.

"Bamf!"

"Do you know the place?"

"Bamf!"

"Good." She put the scarf back in the rucksack and replaced her glove. She stood and threw the backpack over her shoulder. "Let's go." The bamf teleported to sit on her shoulder, then they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The jellyfish like being arrived at the spot where Sonya and the bamf had stood a few minutes prior. It sensed the residual aurora of the two and knew this was the location of the earlier cry. The creature lowered itself to the ground allowing the mist to cover it.

* * *

Sonya and the bamf materialized in front of the castle she had seen in her vision. The three figures stood nearby.

"Amanda Sefton?" she called to the fair haired woman. The three beings turned.

"Yes, I am Amanda Sefton," she replied. Sonya approached the trio with the bamf riding on her shoulder.

"I am Oracol. I am a X-Man. I—"

"The X-Men? Kurt? Kurt Wagner?" She seemed excited, her gaze traveled past Sonya into the void and then back to the bamf.

" _Nu_ , he is still on Earth. I am alone. I was sent by Doctor Strange. You and I must find a staff to stop a sorcerer called Goragol."

"Goragol? The prophecy of the staff? You are the seeker?"

"The doctor believes so. I am a mutant—a clairvoyant."

"So, you will locate the staff and I am to be the sorcerer that will free it from its hiding place? Why didn't Doctor Strange come himself?"

"Goragol's minions search for us and the staff now. The doctor said that he had to remain behind to protect the school while you and I locate the staff and return it to Earth."

"I see." She turned to the couple who remained by her side. "Sonya, may I introduce you to two other X-Men? This is Logan." She motioned towards the man. "And this is Jean Grey." She motioned towards the woman.

"I have heard about both. They are legends among the X-Men. But they died…"

"Yes, they are now residents of this realm."

"I have seen and heard things in the last few months that I thought I would never see or hear before. Things I never would have believed before joining the X-Men." She marveled at the two beings before her. "It is an honor to meet both of you." She bowed slightly to the two X-Men. They said nothing, but Sonya felt a sense of welcome.

"So where is the staff?"

"I will need your help for that." Sonya removed her glove. _This could be worse than the experience with the scarf_. She steeled herself. "I need to touch your bare hand and have you concentrate on the staff. You know more about it than I."

Amanda held out her ungloved hand. Sonya accepted it. "Concentrate on the prophecy. Everything you know about the staff."

Amanda obeyed. The image of a cave appeared in Sonya's mind. She dropped the other woman's hand.

"I have the location." She took the chocolate bar out of her pack and handed it to the bamf. "Thank you, little one, for your help. You have fulfilled your side of our agreement, so here is your reward."

"Bamf!"

"What do you mean you want to stay with me?"

"Choc!"

"I don't have any more chocolate. _Nu_ , we should not need your services anymore. I believe Ms. Sefton has the ability to transport us to the cave I saw."

"I do," Amanda verified.

"See, you are relieved of duty."

"Whiskey!"

" _Nu_ , I do not mind if you stay with us as long as Ms. Sefton does not."

"I do not, but please, call me Amanda."

"Bamf!"

"Very well, you may stay with us. But what do we call you?"

"Bamf!"

"Bamfs don't have individual names?"

"Choc!"

"Okay, I shall call you 'Choc'. Welcome to our merry band, Choc."

"Choc!"

Sonya pulled out the cellphone from her backpack and projected the image of the cave from her vision on it. Amanda opened a portal and the group passed through.

* * *

"I sense the staff," Sonya stated as they navigated the bowels of the cave. Sonya lead the group with Choc on her shoulder, followed by Amanda, Logan and Jean. The glow surrounding Jean's figure thoroughly lit the cavern. They continued down a passage for several more feet, then took a left at a fork. A few hundred more yards and Sonya stopped.

"It is here," she stated.

"Where?" asked Amanda. The section of cave in front of them looked exactly like the rest of the cavern they had travelled past. Sonya pulled her cellphone back out. She projected an image onto its glass surface of a golden staff with a yellow jewel in its crown embedded six feet in the rock.

Suddenly there was a roar from all around the band.

"What the?!" Amanda asked.

"Guardians," Sonya answered.

Four large rock creatures flanked them. One carried a sword and wore what looked like a suit of armor.

"You get the staff. We'll hold them off," Sonya told her. She drew the daggers at her shoulders. Jean fired blasts at the monster closest to her. Logan extended his adamantium claws and attacked.

Amanda touched the rock in front of her and cast a spell to liquefy it, however, nothing happened. Around her the X-Men fought hard against the rock creatures.

"We are good guys!" Sonya yelled at the armored creature. She blocked its sword swings with the metal cuff on her left arm, but each blow drove her backwards. The creature's weapon was heavy and the hits were strong. She was knocked to her knees. Choc teleported to the creature as it lifted its blade again and then disappeared with it.

"Sonya! I need help!" Amanda called.

With no more adversary, she moved back to the woman, placing her daggers back in their scabbards.

" _Ce_?"

"I need you to show me what spell was used to hide the staff."

"I don't think I can. I've never looked back that far in time."

"You have to try. I don't think I can free it without knowing the spell that cloaks it."

"I…will try."

Amanda took over battling the nearest guardian as Sonya touched the rock wall with a bare hand. She concentrated. Her head and body felt as though she stood in a furnace. A thousand years of history was a lot to swim through, especially when the timeline was not her own. Just as she started to blackout, she saw that for which she searched.

"Amanda! I have it!" She leaned against the wall for support. When the sorceress reached her side, she held up her cellphone and showed her the spell.

"Excellent!"

Sonya sunk to the floor of the cave. Choc teleported to her side. One of the creatures ran towards them. Sonya pulled the daggers at her waist and threw them. They bounced harmlessly off its rock skin. She forced herself into a squat and rolled between the creature's legs as it swung a stony fist. The punch crashed into the wall. Logan appeared and sliced the arm off the creature.

Amanda cast a reversal spell and the rock before the staff vaporized. She reached for it, but Sonya slammed into her first.

"Don't touch it! You'll be overwhelmed like Goragol!" she yelled. She pulled out the scarf from her bag and wrapped it around the staff. She jerked it free from some remaining rock and handed it to Amanda—just as the cavern around them started to disintegrate. "Choc, get us out of here!"

The bamf did as told and all three found themselves outside the cave entrance. Sonya fell heavily to the ground. There were loud crashing sounds and rock and dust belched from the cave's mouth. Somehow, Jean and Logan escaped the cave before it was sealed with debris.

Amanda looked down at the staff in her hand. Only glimpses of it peeked out from under the scarf, but its beauty was evident by what she could see. She noticed the scarf. "This is my scarf!" she said. "The one I left—. You got this from Kurt, didn't you?"

Sonya's eyes were shut as she was concentrated on keeping her head from exploding as she lay on the ground. "Maybe" was all she could muster.

"You know Kurt, then! How is he? Hey, are you alright?" She kneeled beside the dark haired woman.

"I will be as long as my brains stay inside my skull."

"Here." Amanda touched the other woman's head and mumbled a couple of words. The pain in Sonya's head receded.

"Thank you." She sat up.

"You know Kurt, don't you?"

" _Da_. He's teammate." She stood up. She really didn't want to discuss this subject.

"How is he?"

"He was fine when I left. Look, let's just get back to Earth and you can find out for yourself."

Amanda placed the staff inside Sonya's backpack, then said her goodbyes to Logan and Jean.

"Choc, can you return us to where we met?" Sonya asked.

"Whiskey!"

"Good. Let's go home."

A blink of an eye and the two woman and the bamf were back where Sonya had entered the realm. She took out the chocolate bar and gave it to Choc.

"Guess it's time to say goodbye, too."

"Bamf!"

"I don't know if you can go with us to our dimension."

"Bamf!"

Sonya looked at Amanda as if to ask if it was possible.

"Others of his kind have made the journey."

"Very well, let's all three go home. What do I need to do to open the portal?"

"Doctor Strange didn't tell you?"

"He just said I had to have an anchor in the other dimension."

"And you have one?"

" _Da_."

"Concentrate on it. Think about home."

Sonya thought about Kurt and the piece of her soul he guarded. Picturing him was painful, but she fought through the emotions. A small spark appeared before them.

"You're doing it! Keep concentrating!"

She thought about Paradise and the Broadway play they had seen. The spark grew larger. She thought about their first kiss and their last. The shimmering doorway grew large enough for them to step through.

"You go first," she told Amanda.

Sonya watched as the sorceress passed between dimensions. She stepped through the portal herself just as the jellyfish creature rose from the fog. It floated towards her and disappeared as it touched her back. Once she was again standing in Ororo's office, she moaned and collapsed in a heap. The portal closed behind them.


	10. Chapter 10: Demons of the Past

"Find Kurt Wagner, Choc. Tell him what happened. Tell him to bring help," Amanda instructed the bamf. It disappeared as she knelt beside the unconscious woman.

"Oracol!" She gently rolled the clairvoyant onto her back.

Kurt, Cecilia and Choc materialized before them moments later. Kurt looked from one woman to the other before joining the doctor and Amanda on the floor next to the prone female. The doctor immediately started checking the woman's vitals.

"Sonya!" He took her hand in his then looked up at the fair haired woman. "What happened?"

"She just collapsed when she stepped through the portal." Amanda's eyes briefly flickered from his face to the intertwined hands then back.

A sound like static electricity and a muffled pop came from outside. Kurt and Amanda ran to the window. Outside a large swirling portal had opened and a horde of misshaped beings were pouring through it.

"Goragol's minions. We have to protect the school," Amanda stated looking at the man by her side.

Kurt touched the communicator in his ear. "X-Men, we are under attack. Front lawn." He looked back at the doctor.

"Go. I'll take care of her," she promised.

"I just need my swords." He disappeared for a second then reappeared holding his prize weapons. He touched Amanda's shoulder and transported them outside directly in the path of fifty plus creatures searching for the staff—creatures that might have once been human, but were now twisted by magic and ravaged by time.

Without a word, they each attacked in their own fashion, Kurt with sharpened steel, Amanda with magic. A smaller portal opened to their right and Doctor Strange stepped through to join the battle. They were soon flanked by other X-Men.

* * *

Cecilia returned to checking Sonya's vitals. As she reached to lift the unconscious woman's eyelids, they flicked open revealing solid black orbs. She quickly jerked her hand back.

Sonya rose up on her elbows. "Where is my brother? Where is Kurt Wagner?" she demanded of the startled woman. Her accent was no longer Romanian, but German.

"B—brother?"

" _Ja_! Tell me woman!" She reached for the doctor, but was deflected by the protective force field generated by Cecilia's mutant powers. "Wait...I see him. This body has the gift of second sight. _Wunderbar_! That could prove most useful." She got to her feet and ran out of the room.

Cecilia touched the communication device in her ear. "Nightcrawler?"

" _Ja_?"

"Something is wrong with Sonya. Her eyes are solid black and she called you her brother. I believe she is headed your way."

"Brother? _Danke_ , Dr. Reyes."

He didn't have time to ponder this strange message given the number of opponents they were facing, but in a few moments he was confronted by its subject as the now raven-eyed woman exited the school and joined the chaos on the front lawn. She stopped about one hundred yards from him and shouted, "Brother!"

He turned as she drew the daggers at her shoulders. He knew she would not miss at that distance, but he also knew he could easily teleport out of the way. She let one of the blades fly, but not in his direction. Instead it sailed directly towards Amanda's back.

" _Nein_!" He took a couple of steps as he restored his swords to their scabbards. He then teleported, giving himself enough momentum to sweep both Amanda and himself out of the way of the dagger when he reappeared. The knife barely missed his arm striking one of the creatures behind them instead.

"Are you okay?" he asked the stunned sorceress as they separated.

"Yes, but what happened?"

"I'm about to find out."

He teleported in front of Sonya who wore a sick grin on her face. She still held the remaining dagger at the ready.

"Sonya, what are you doing?" He grabbed her wrists.

"Is that the name of this person? Well, she's not home at the moment."

" _Was_? Who are you?" As a feeling of dread coursed through his body, he called the name of his deceased adopted brother. "S—Stefan?"

"So, you do remember the name of the man you killed and sent to Hell to suffer alone and forgotten for crimes he did not commit?"

"I didn't kill you. You were possessed by a demon called Hive. It made you kill those children and then snapped your neck as we fought."

"Is that what you believe? Well, you always were so righteous. And Mother's favorite. Tell me, did you ever say a prayer for my soul?"

" _Ja_. Every day. Stefan, I only did what you asked. You begged me to stop you if you ever committed some unspeakable act. I didn't have a choice."

"We always have choices, dear brother. But, now you will pay for sending me to that place to rot for eternity. First, I will take the life of the one who called you home—our precious sister. Then, you will watch as those you hold dear suffer and then when you beg for mercy, I will send you to Hell to take my place."

She twisted the hand clutching the remaining dagger, slicing a large gash in his arm. He released his grip in a spasm of pain. She then swung the weapon in an arc towards his chest. He jumped out of the way. He pulled a fist back, but couldn't let it fly. He couldn't strike her even with the knowledge that she was not herself.

She laughed then started running towards Amanda who was distracted by the battle.

A psychic command to sleep came to the woman as she approached her quarry, knife at the ready. The order was issued by Betsy. Sonya dropped like a rock.

 _She will be out for a while_ , echoed Betsy's voice in Kurt's mind. _You'd better restrain her before she wakes._

 _Danke_ , he sent back. He picked up the sleeping woman and teleported them to the infirmary.

The remaining X-Men along with the two sorcerers continued the battle. The injured and unconscious bodies of Goragol's army soon dotted the lawn. About half of the creatures escaped back through their portal before it closed. As the defenders recovered from their fight, Doctor Strange disposed of the attackers left behind through a portal of his own.

"How is she?" Amanda asked as she entered the recovery room given to Sonya. Kurt was seated next to the bed holding the sleeping seer. Thick leather restraints covered her wrists and ankles. The man's injured arm was wrapped in a bandage. He rose and embraced his sister.

"Still out and still possessed. How did this happen?"

"I don't know."

"But you and Doctor Strange can help her, right?"

"Sorry, Steven took the staff and left." Amanda approached the bed and looked down at the woman. "And this is not really covered under the realm of magic. It's more in the realm of your faith." She looked back at the blue mutant.

"Then Faith shall save her. Help me remove the restraints."

He knew of only one man that might be able to help. He picked Sonya's unconscious body off the bed and disappeared with a bamf sound and a puff of smoke. They reappeared outside St. Patrick's Cathedral. He was greeted by one of the younger priest as he carried the woman into the church. The man was surprised by Kurt's appearance, but remained calm.

"I need to see Father Rodriguez immediately," he told the young man.

"I'm sorry, my son, but he is in prayer and cannot be disturbed."

"This girl is possessed by a demon that must be exorcised. I know Father Rodriguez is the only priest that performs exorcisms in New York and I must see him immediately. Otherwise this demon will do great harm!"

The man seemed torn. "Very well," he finally said. He led them to a small prayer room off the main sanctuary and asked him to wait. Kurt laid Sonya down gently on some chairs in the room. He noticed the silver necklace she often wore had become untucked from underneath her uniform. He pulled it free. The room's light reflected off the small crucifix. He caught the charm and stared at the cross as it lay against the palm of his hand.

"We will both need all our faith to get through this," he whispered. He closed his hand around the cross and said a quick prayer.

The young priest returned with Father Rodriguez. He was a thin, middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and glasses.

"Father Santos tells me you believe this woman is possessed." He glanced at Sonya and then back at Kurt.

" _Ja_ , Father. By the spirit of my dead brother."

"I see. And what makes you think she is possessed?"

"I studied to be a priest for a short time, Father. I know the signs of possession and she meets many of them."

"I see." The Father rubbed his chin. "So, you are the mutant with a demon's appearance that studied for the priesthood. I have heard about you."

"I am honored." Kurt bowed slightly.

Father Rodriguez turned to Father Santos and told him to bring a cot and a pillow. When the young priest returned with the requested items, they moved Sonya to the cot.

"Is she violent? Do we need to restrain her?"

"I think she will be fine. She has been disarmed." _As much as a highly trained spy can be disarmed._

"Very well. I will need to get my supplies. Mr…"

"Wagner."

"Mr. Wagner, please pray for the girl's soul."

Kurt took a seat beside his teammate and did as the priest instructed while Father Santos looked on. In a few moments Father Rodriguez returned with a large black bag. He had donned his robes and stole. He removed a large crucifix, a small vial of holy water and a book from the bag. He opened the book.

" _Ecce crucem Domini_ ," he began, touching the hem of his stole to Sonya's neck.

Her eyes popped open. "Where am I?!" she hissed. Her eyes fell on Kurt. "Brother!" He stopped praying and looked down at her.

"Who are you, demon?" the priest demanded.

She looked around. "So you have taken me to one of your places of worship. Hoping your God can save you? He can't!"

Father Rodriguez held the crucifix before the woman's face. "Demon, I cast you out!"

She laughed. She reached out and touched the crucifix. "I am not going back to that place!" She pushed the cross back at the priest.

"What is it you want, demon?"

"To destroy my brother Kurt Wagner. To make him pay for murdering me and sending me to Hell!" She rose to a sitting position and reached for the back of her vest's collar. She pulled out the small dagger hidden there and swung it for Kurt's throat. He intercepted her swipe and immobilized her wrist. She drew her other arm back and started to punch, but he caught and held that wrist, too. He twisted the hand holding the dagger until she dropped it.

"I see we missed one," he said through clenched teeth.

"You will die, Brother!" She kicked at the chair he was sitting on.

The two priests continued to pray as this struggle went on.

"Sonya, I know you are in there! Fight him!" He changed his grasp to her hands.

She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. She leaned forward until her face was a few inches from his.

"You care about this girl, don't you?" she hissed.

" _Ja_. Very much."

"She cares a lot for you, too. I feel it. But you betrayed her as you betrayed me. I feel her rage. I will use that anger to destroy you."

"I—I made a mistake. A mistake I hope she will forgive when she wins her battle with you."

"I will never release her! I will kill her before I allow you to win!"

"Sonya, please, you are strong! Fight him! Cast him back to Hell!"

"Still not here…" Her voice was sing-songy.

"Sonya, I'm sorry. Please, forgive me. Please, come back to me and I'll make it all up to you. I promise." His grip on her hands eased.

"She doesn't believe you!"

Father Rodriguez picked up the vial of holy water and sprinkled some on Sonya.

"Stopped that!" she hissed. "I had a shower…a few days ago." She pulled her hands free of Kurt's grasp then turned her lower body on the cot, lifting her feet up and over and kicked the priest. He fell back, but Father Santos caught him before he hit the floor.

"SONYA!?" Kurt yelled. Her head snapped back to face him. She laughed manically then reached out and wrapped her hands around his neck. The younger priest grabbed one of her arms and pulled, but her grasp was like steel. She started to squeeze.

Kurt clawed at the hands around his throat. "Sonya…" he gasped. "P—please…"

She froze. Her grip slackened. She blinked and when her eyes opened, they were normal. Her hands dropped.

"Kurt…" Her voice was weak. She placed a hand to her head and looked up at him. "My head…"

"It's alright. Lay back." His voice was hoarse. He eased her into a prone position.

"Your—your brother. He's—"

"Shh…It's alright now. Stay with us." He stroked her head.

"The demon is trying to trick you," the elder priest said.

"Kurt…" Sonya whispered.

" _Ja_?" He leaned in to hear her better.

"Please…let me go. I'm so tired. I want to rest."

" _Nein_ , you can't. You must keep fighting."

" _Nu_ …I don't want to stay. I don't want to face the future. The pain. I can't bear it." She grabbed his hand. "Please, I want to go. You see, I love yoouuughnnn!" Her body suddenly contorted and rose four feet off the cot. Her hand was ripped from his. She screamed in agony.

" _Nein_ , please, Sonya…Please, fight! You must fight!" His eyes were wet and burned. "Latch on to the piece of your soul that is in me! Use it to stay connected to this world!" he yelled.

Suddenly, her body fell back to the cot. He placed his ear to her chest. "She's not breathing!" he exclaimed. He lifted his head and looked into her face. He stroked her cheek gently and said softly "Sonya, please, I need you. I love you. Please, come back to me!" Tears fell from his chin to land on her cheek. She gasped and started breathing.

Kurt placed a finger on her wrist.

"Her pulse is weak. I must get her back to the infirmary." He picked her up and stood. "Thank you, Fathers! May the Lord bless you and keep you!" The two X-Men disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

An hour later, Amanda poked her head into the room housing Sonya to find Kurt again seated beside a bed containing the unconscious woman. His elbows were on the bed and his head was bent in prayer.

"Kurt," she called softly.

He looked up and stood.

"How is she?"

"She's going to be okay. Her vitals are stable and Rachel can find no trace left of Stefan."

"That's good."

"Amanda…" He placed his hands on her upper arms. "I'm sorry. I haven't even welcomed you back."

She looked down at the resting woman. When she finally looked back into his face, she smiled.

"You care about her, don't you?"

He was silent for a moment, studying her face. He swallowed hard. " _Ja,_ " he finally said.

"Our timing never was very good." She sighed and placed her hand on his cheek.

"I'm sorry."

"Shh. I wish you two luck. I think she is a good match for you. Besides, I've got to go now and help Doctor Strange defeat Goragol. Something about only the sorcerer who frees the staff can use it."

"But we haven't even had time to talk."

She opened a portal and started through it, then stopped and turned. "Maybe when this is all over, we can have lunch. The three of us, I mean."

" _Ja_. I think Sonya would like that."

She stepped through the portal and disappeared. He returned to his chair. He took Sonya's hand in his and just watched her breathe.


	11. Chapter 11: Paying the Demanded Price

_Where am I?_ Sonya thought when she awoke in the middle of the night. _The infirmary…_

It came flooding back to her. She sat up slowly. Her head hurt, but she no longer felt Stefan's presence. She noticed Kurt asleep in a chair next to her bed. She wanted to reach out and touch him.

 _He looks so beautiful._ Nu _, no time for a change of heart_. _You know what you must do_.

She had to move and move fast. She got up quietly and retrieved her clothes from the closet. Then she picked her way to her room avoiding contact with anyone who might be up at that hour.

Once in her room, she packed a small bag and her backpack, changed into civvies and wrote a quick note. She then snuck back downstairs and outside undetected.

* * *

 _What was that noise?_ Clint tentatively opened one eye.

He heard it again. Someone was knocking on his door. But who would be knocking on his door at—he fumbled for his watch on the nightstand and picked it up—3 A.M.? He rubbed his eyes and forced himself out of bed. He grabbed a pair of pants and pulled them on during his journey to the front door. He was shocked to find Sonya standing in front of him when he pulled it opened.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, still not able to focus.

"I came to turn myself in," she replied.

"At 3 A.M.? S.H.I.E.L.D.'s closed. Come back at a decent hour." He tried to shut the door but she blocked it with her foot. "Fine, come in…" He stepped aside and let her enter.

"I'm sorry to have to disturb you, but if I didn't come now, the X-Men might have stopped me." She plopped down in a chair. "You can go back to bed. I'll make myself at home."

He took her hand and attempted to pull her back to her feet. "I've got a better idea. Why don't we both go back to bed and discuss this in the morning."

She wrapped her legs around his and he suddenly found himself on the floor staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, no fair taking advantage of a sleepy man!" He rolled over on his side. "Of course, this will do." He shut his eyes. He was snoring in under a minute.

She got up from the chair and walked to the window. She pulled open the curtain and peered out at the city. Impulsively she touched the glass and thought about Kurt. An image appeared, reflected in the glass. He remained asleep next to her now empty bed.

 _Why can I see him now? Is it something to do with my going to that other dimension or…because he now carries part of my soul?_ She watched him sleep. _No regrets,_ she promised herself. She let her hand fall and the image disappeared.

About 5 A.M. she rummaged around in the refrigerator. There wasn't much in it.

 _Typical bachelor. I guess I will have to buy and cook my own last meal._

She retrieved the key to the front door from the bedroom and left her host asleep on the couch where he had moved to about an hour earlier. She ran down to a corner convenience store and bought the makings of a decent breakfast.

Clint was still asleep on the couch when she let herself back into his apartment. She put the keys back where she had found them and went to work making food.

"Something smells good…" he mumbled, opening an eye.

"Awake finally, are we?" she asked, noticing movement from the couch.

"Maybe after some coffee…" He poured a cup and watched her work while he drank it. "I had food in my frig?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I went to the store."

Once she finished, she sat the food, minus what he had managed to steal while she was cooking, on the table and they ate.

"Marry me," he said sitting back in his chair once he couldn't eat anymore.

"You don't want to marry a woman with a record. Think of the children."

"I'd make an honest woman of you."

"Your friends don't like me. Strike two."

"Widow doesn't like many people."

"We're both spies. We're used to keeping secrets. It would never work."

"Could be good while it lasted though."

She cleaned up the kitchen while he dressed then he transported them on his motorcycle to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York Triskelion. They were met by two armed guards upon entry. He explained that he was bringing Sonya in for questioning. He stopped one of the guards as he attempted to put handcuffs on the woman. As they started towards the prisoner detention area, she placed a hand on his chest to halt his forward motion.

"This is as far as you go," she informed him.

"I told you I would stay by your side," he reminded her.

" _Nu_ , things are going to come out about my past that I don't want you to know. It's going to get ugly and you need to distance yourself from me."

"Oracol…"

"Go home, Hawkeye. And during your next mission, take out the opponent on the right first."

She informed the guards she was ready to proceed without his company. He watched her walk away.

* * *

Kurt teleported immediately to Sonya's room when he realized she was missing. He found the handwritten note on her bed addressed to Ororo and took it to her. She read the note aloud. In it, Sonya explained that she was turning herself into S.H.I.E.L.D. of her own free will to face charges against her. She asked the X-Men not to retaliate against S.H.I.E.L.D. She thanked them for all they had done for her, but stated that she had to face her past and clear her name.

Ororo called Nick Fury straightaway. Kurt and Hank stood at her side during the video conference.

"I want Oracol released immediately," Ororo demanded.

"Not until she answers some questions."

"Are you charging her with something? Does she have a lawyer?" Hank asked.

"She's not being charged with anything yet. We just want some answers. This shouldn't take long as long as she cooperates and then we will rush her back to the X-Men."

"We want to see her," Ororo said.

"She requested no visitors."

" _I_ want to see her!" Kurt demanded. His face filled the camera.

"She said no visitors, especially the X-Men."

"She's recovering from injuries. She needs medical attention!" Kurt continued.

Ororo pushed him away from the camera. "I need assurances that she is being treated well and will be released as soon as possible. If not, I will be calling Jennifer Walters."

"She is in minimum security digs and getting anything she wants. We don't do that for just any prisoner. She is being treated like a guest at a resort. Happy? Do not send She-Hulk down here! Fury out." He ended the call.

"I want to see her," Kurt reiterated.

"You heard what Fury said. She doesn't want any visitors," Ororo reminded him. Her demeanor softened. "Just give her time, old friend. She needs to figure things out. Fury will take care of her. She will be fine and back to us soon."

* * *

Sonya's first day was spent being processed. She was given a dark jumpsuit and her personal effects were catalogued and stored. All data she provided—which was scant—was entered into a database.

She was escorted to a cell with a real full sized bed complete with linens, a desk, a comfortable chair and lamp. The walls were solid metal, so she didn't have to worry about watching her fellow prisoners going about their business. A security camera was mounted in a corner of the cell, but she sensed it was shut off. She was being allowed complete privacy—at least for now.

Once she heard the door of her cell lock, she flopped on the bed and closed her eyes. As she relaxed, disturbing images flashed in her mind. Images of children screaming, a knife glinting in the sunlight, blood on the ground. Her eyes jerked open and she sat up.

 _Where did those come from?_

She stood up and started pacing. She searched her mind for Stefan's presence, but didn't feel him.

 _He is gone. I control my mind and body._

She took a deep breath and sat down on the floor. She tried to recall some of the yoga positions and meditations Angelica had forced her to try. She crossed her legs and closed her eyes. She focused on her breath. _In…out…in…out…_

Children running, screaming.

 _In…out_.

A knife slicing through the air.

Nu _. In…out._

Blood running across the ground.

NU!

She put a hand on each side of her head.

NU! NU! NU! _I am going mad!_

There was a sound at her door. Someone was unlocking it. She rose and approached. The door opened to reveal a young woman with a push cart filled with plates of food and escorted by an armed guard.

"Today, we have tilapia with vegetables, vegetarian pizza or southwest chicken salad," the woman said brightly. She looked up at Sonya waiting on a response.

Sonya was stunned for a moment. She had not expected to be catered to. "S—salad," she finally stammered.

The woman handed her a huge bowl filled with vegetables and chicken along with plastic silverware, salt and pepper and a napkin wrapped in plastic.

"And to drink?"

"Water." She was handed a bottle of water.

"Any dessert? We have apple pie, chocolate chip cookies or lemon cake."

" _Nu_. No thank you."

" _ _Bon appétit__! **"** the girl said. The guard was already closing the cell's door.

Sonya sat everything on the desk and stared at it. The mention of chocolate chip cookies had brought the bamf that had befriended her in the other dimension to mind. That in turn brought memories of Kurt. She sighed and paced the floor again.

 _Why is there no TV or computer or book or something? Something to distract me?_

 _Annabelle_. She concentrated on the child. She saw her sitting in class. She seemed sad, but well. She allowed nothing, but the image of the girl to fill her mind.

* * *

Nick Fury and Agent Phil Coulson stood in the observation room of the interrogation room. Sonya sat alone at a table on the other side of the one-way glass. Dark circles had formed under her eyes from lack of sleep. She stared straight through the glass at Fury to let him know she knew he was there. Fury returned the stare.

"So, do you want me to question her, sir?" Agent Coulson asked his boss.

"No, I thought I would let Agent Romanoff do it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? According to Hawkeye, they almost came to blows at their first meeting."

"I think they are enough alike that Agent Romanoff may get her to talk. And if they come to blows, we can always set off the sprinklers."

As the last word left Fury's mouth, the door to the interrogation room opened and Natasha Romanoff stepped through carrying a folder in her hand. She closed the door and took the seat opposite the Romanian. She laid the folder on the table in front of her. Sonya's stare turned even more icy as it followed the other woman. Natasha opened the folder. She did not look at its contents, but studied the dark haired woman before her. Sonya leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms before her.

" _Bună ziua_ ," Natasha started.

"Do not speak to me in my native tongue!"

"Fine, _sestra_."

"Do not speak to me in _your_ mother tongue either!"

Natasha glanced down at the folder. "So…Sonya Pavlovich AKA The Dark Lady AKA Oracol, is it now? What should I call you?"

"'Hey you' is good." Sonya's words were as icy as her glare.

"Sonya, it is then." She looked back down at the folder even though it was unnecessary. "So, you worked for Anton Koulakova…"

"I wouldn't really call it 'worked for'. He didn't exactly pay me."

"So, he held you prisoner and forced you to do missions for him." Natasha met the other woman's eyes.

Sonya did not respond.

"I am not the enemy. We just want some answers."

Silence.

"We just want to know about Dr. Turov and then you can go free."

"Who?" Sonya leaned forward placing her hands on the table.

"The biochemist you supposedly killed."

"Doesn't ring a bell."

Natasha pulled a picture out of the folder of a middle aged man with short brown hair slicked back and wearing a lab coat, white button up shirt and tie. She turned it to face the other woman and pushed it towards her.

Sonya glanced down at the photo. She shrugged. "He's dead."

"How?"

"He's dead. Does it matter how?"

"We want to hear what happened."

"I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D. has a folder on the matter."

"We want to hear the story from you."

"Don't you trust S.H.I.E.L.D. intel?"

"Not when most of the information comes from inside Russia."

"You don't believe news coming from your mother country? No longer red, Black Widow?"

"No changing the subject. Tell me what happened with Dr. Turov."

The two woman stared at each other for a few minutes. Sonya finally leaned back in her chair.

"You can't threaten or bluff me, Black Widow. You might as well give up."

"Fine. Sit and rot, then." Natasha picked up the folder from the table and left the room. The photo of Turov remained on the table.

* * *

"A gentler touch, sir?" Coulson asked as Natasha joined them in the observation room.

"Worth a try. You're up, Coulson," Fury stated.

Coulson left and entered the interrogation room. Sonya gave him a causal glance as he shut the door.

"Now for good cop?" she asked.

"Something like that. I'm Agent Coulson." He offered his hand in friendship, but the woman did not move. He lowered it again. "So, before we begin, is there anything I can get for you?" He remained standing as a show of power.

"Books, TV, computer, something to occupy me in my cell."

"Okay, that can be arranged. In exchange, you give me something. Tell me what happened to Dr. Turov."

"Not that easy."

"Fine. What will it take?"

Sonya looked down at the table. _I made promise. I cannot break it_.

"Sorry, no deal."

He sat to put himself on her level and leaned forward.

"Miss Pavlovich, I do not believe you are a killer. You are a X-Man. You are one of the good guys. You helped stop Arcade—other madmen, too, I'm sure. You protect people. I think you are protecting someone now."

Sonya continued to stare at the table.

"Just tell us the truth and you can return to your teammates. You will be free. You can get on with your life."

No response.

Coulson pushed the picture of Turov into her line of sight. He tapped the picture lightly. "I understand family is very important to you. This man had a family. A wife and son. For his family's sake, tell us what happened."

" _Nu_." She stood. "I am ready to return to my cell."

Coulson had Sonya escorted back to her cell before he returned to talk to Fury and Agent Romanoff.

"So what is her weakness?" Fury asked the others.

"Her family and the X-Man Nightcrawler according to Barton," Natasha supplied.

"Her family is in Romania, so no good. I doubt Nightcrawler would ever help us. He's pretty upset at our imprisoning her," Coulson stated.

"Hawkeye—why is he not here?" Fury asked.

"She told him to stay away," Coulson said.

"Then maybe he is one of her weaknesses."

"I doubt it. Her nickname for him is Moron," Natasha stated.

"They have worked together. And had coffee or something," Coulson added.

"It's worth a try. Get him here."

"He left on a mission this morning. Should be back in a couple of days," Natasha answered.

"Okay, let her sit in her cell until he returns," Fury ordered.

"How long do you think we can really hold her before the X-Men do something?" Coulson asked.

A siren sounded. "About that long," Fury replied.

* * *

A premonition came to Sonya as the door of her cell closed. She listened as the guard's footsteps diminished. A couple of seconds later, there was a bamf sound and the smell of brimstone. Choc appeared on the bed, a piece of paper in his hand.

"Choc!" she yelled when she saw her friend. He teleported into her arms. A siren sounded.

"Ah, little guy, I missed you too." She gave him a big hug. "You shouldn't be here though."

He pointed at the piece of paper he had dropped on the bed.

"From Kurt, huh?" The bamf nodded.

She heard fast footfalls and the sound of the cell being unlocked.

"You need to go home."

The door swung open to expose four guards with weapons drawn.

"Arms up!" yelled one of the guards.

"Tell everyone hello for me."

"Bamf!" Choc disappeared.

Sonya put her hands up so the guards could see them. One of them entered the room.

"Where did that creature go?"

"He's a teleporter. He went home. He's not dangerous. He just brought that letter." She motioned towards the bed with her head.

"We'll have to confiscate it and search the cell. Come out and keep your hands up."

* * *

When Clint returned from his mission two days later, he was summoned immediately to the Triskelion and escorted to Sonya's cell. He entered the room alone to find its occupant seated in the chair facing the back wall of the cell.

"What are you doing here?" she asked without turning around. Her voice was hoarse.

"Checking on my favorite jailbird." He started towards her.

"Leave."

The tone of her voice caused him to stop short. "Can't. Fury sent me to talk to you. I hear you're not eating or sleeping or cooperating. Personally, I'm not surprised you're being difficult, but it's upsetting others."

He placed a brown paper bag on the desk. "I brought you some presents." He started pulling food out of the bag.

She stood up and turned towards him. He noticed she looked weak and thin. Her hair was unkempt. Her eyes were hollow and dull.

"You look awful."

"Sorry, I didn't have time to get to the spa."

"You need to eat. I heard you like strawberries and chocolate." He approached her and held out a carton of chocolate covered strawberries and a candy bar.

"You've been talking to the X-Men. I don't want anything. Take it and leave!" She moved unsteadily to the opposite side of the cell.

"Sonya, what's going on? How long has it been since you slept?"

"I thought this was what S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted. To wear me down till I talked."

"Not like this."

"I won't tell them where Turov is!"

"So he's alive?"

"I won't hand him over so S.H.I.E.L.D. can force him to build weapons for them like Koulakova wanted!"

"No one's going to do that."

"Are you so sure of their intentions?"

"I trust Fury."

"Leave Clint! Leave now!" She stumbled.

He rushed forward. "I can't. I'm responsible. I brought you here."

"I turned myself in." She tried to back away from him, but blacked out. He caught her before she hit the floor.

"Guard!" he bellowed. He picked her up.

When the guard opened the cell, he rushed her out and to the medical center. She convulsed in his arms during the journey.

"Doc!" he yelled as they entered. He laid her down on an empty bed. The doctor in charge emerged immediately. Sonya spasmed on the bed while the doctor and nurse started an IV and meds.

"What's wrong with her, Doc?" he asked, concern growing in his voice.

"We're not sure. She goes into fits every time she tries to sleep. It's like she's having a really bad nightmare. I'm going to sedate her. If we can get liquids into her and get her to rest, she may be okay." The doctor pushed him back from the bed.

" _May_ be okay?" He watched helplessly as the staff worked on his friend.

* * *

"I've given her as much sedative as I dare. She's still restless. Her vitals are stable, but weak. We need to find out what is causing her fits or I'm afraid she will continue to deteriorate."

Clint thanked the doctor and headed for a computer where he could contact the X-Men. He was able to get through to Ororo.

"Storm, it's Hawkeye. Oracol's not doing well. She's not sleeping or eating. She's sedated right now, but still restless. The doctor is very concerned. We need to figure out what is causing her fits. What happened on her last mission?"

"You wouldn't believe it."

"I've seen my share of unbelievable things. Hit me."

"She was possessed by a demon. Nightcrawler took her to a priest and had it exorcised."

"Possessed? Demons? What kind of missions do you people go on? Is there any chance some…thing was left?"

"Our telepath and doctor checked her and cleared her, but I'll bring one of our telepaths to check her again." She didn't wait for a reply; she ended the call.

She contacted Rachel and told her what was going on. Kurt intercepted them at the school's front door.

"I'm going with you," he insisted.

"No. Sonya did not want any trouble between the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. I fear if you go, there will be trouble."

"Storm, please…"

"I'm sorry, old friend, but I need you to stay behind."

"I need to see her."

"We will take care of her. We will bring her home, I promise."

She and Rachel took to the air using their mutant powers. They flew swiftly to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Triskelion. Clint was waiting for them outside the building and took them straight to Sonya's room, ignoring all security checks and stares from passersby.

"She looks bad," Ororo commented. "You should have contacted us sooner."

Rachel took up a position behind Sonya's bed and placed a hand on each side of her face. She stilled the woman's head as much as she could and searched her mind.

"I contacted you as soon as I knew," Clint retorted.

"I shouldn't have left her in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody."

"She turned herself in. It was her—"

"I'm going to have to ask you two to leave. I need to concentrate!" Rachel yelled.

Clint and Ororo departed. They peered through the observation window of the room as Rachel resumed her scan of Sonya's mind. Fury walked up between the two.

"Storm. How—?"

"You told me you would take care of her! Why did you let her get so ill?" Ororo launched into Fury.

"You're blaming me? Sounds like her last mission caused the problem. _And_ if she had cooperated from the beginning, she would have been out of here long ago and been _your_ problem."

When Rachel exited the room, she found Ororo and Fury still arguing.

"Is she okay?" Clint asked the red head. The others stopped bickering.

"She's better. Resting. Stefan left some kind of failsafe in her mind. It triggered shortly after he was exorcised from her body. Every time she attempted to still her mind, it was overwhelmed by horrific images. It was driving her mad. Somehow I missed it when I scanned her mind after she and Nightcrawler returned from the church. I failed her." She looked to her leader.

"No, I'm sure he protected it from your scans somehow," Ororo reassured her.

"But you were able to remove it, right?" Clint queried.

"I have locked it away deep in her subconscious. Most people would be fine, but with her mutant ability to always see the truth, I'm afraid her mind might find a way to trigger it again."

Clint looked through the window. "She appears to be resting peacefully now."

"I will have Nightcrawler bring a Blackbird and we will transport her back to the school," Ororo stated.

"She's too weak to be moved," Clint disagreed.

"She needs to be monitored by a telepath. She will be better served by our facilities."

"You are not moving her!" Clint was growing angry.

"If we do not take her back, I fear what Nightcrawler will do. I was barely able to keep him from coming."

"Unable to control your people? Storm, I'm shocked," Fury joined in.

"I control my people as well as you control yours."

"She's staying here until she recuperates. If Nightcrawler has a problem with that, he can take it up with me and my arrows," Clint warned. He marched back into the room and stood beside the bed.

"Guess it's decided then," Fury said. Ororo glared at him.

"Can we visit her while she recuperates?" Rachel asked.

"Her last directive was no visitors, so until she's conscious and agrees to visitors, I have to respect her previous wishes."

"This is unacceptable," Ororo protested. "You almost let her die and now you expect me to just leave her here again?"

"She will be under the best medical care."

"Sorry, I'm finding it really hard to trust you."

"She turned herself in to avoid a fight between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the X-Men. She's clairvoyant. She knew what would happen. She accepted the consequences. I suggest you respect her wishes."

"She was obviously not in her right mind when she agreed to this."

"She agreed to this two months ago."

"Two months ago? She said nothing." Ororo looked at Rachel.

"She obviously didn't want you stopping her. She obviously cares a lot about the X-Men. Look, would it ease your mind if you received daily updates on her condition?"

"How about twice a day updates with video monitoring? _And_ she is to be released as soon as she is strong enough to be moved."

"Deal. Shall I walk you out?"


	12. Chapter 12: Fallout

"Kurt?" Sonya mumbled when she awoke in the medical center of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Triskelion.

Clint did not catch what she said. He moved to the side of the bed. He had not left the room since the X-Men had departed several hours earlier. "Sonya?"

Her eyes opened and looked in the direction of her name. "Clint?"

"So you are still alive."

"Not sure at the moment." She pressed the button on the bed to raise her head.

"Can I get you something?"

"Water, please."

He moved to a water pitcher and poured some of its contents into a cup. He returned and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She took a drink. "So, you called Storm."

"Had to. You were in bad shape."

"Yeah. That demon really did a number on my head. I suppose I will forgive you this one time."

"Hungry? I put the strawberries in the frig."

"I was hoping you still had those."

He pulled the chocolate covered strawberries out of the small refrigerator in a corner of the room as Agent Coulson entered the room.

"Ah, I see our guest is awake. Excellent," he said. "How are we doing?"

Sonya picked a strawberry up. "Better, thank you." She took a bite out of the fruit.

"Good to hear." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "I brought the letter the little, blue…"

"Bamf," Sonya supplied.

"bamf brought." He held the paper out.

"You can dispose of it for me."

"Oh. Okay. Will do." He returned the paper to his pocket. "So…Turov is not dead?"

"You are like dog with bone."

"I have a strong drive to close files."

"Then, knowing he is alive is not enough?"

"No. It just brings up more questions. I need to know the whole story."

Sonya looked at Clint. He nodded slightly. "Very well. Turov is alive, but I will not reveal his location. He doesn't want to build weapons. He never did. The Ukrainian government took his work and perverted it."

"Okay, so what happened?"

"Koulakova sent me, Viktor—our telepath—and Daniil—our handler/muscle—to pick up Turov and bring him back to our compound. He wanted to force him to build weapons to sell and the Russian government wanted him out of Ukrainian control.

"We staked out Turov's house and waited until everyone was asleep. It was a warm night and his wife had left their bedroom window open, so it was no problem entering the house.

"I had a syringe filled with sedatives that would keep him unconscious while we transported him. Hiding in the shadows, I ensured Turov and his wife were asleep. As I took a step towards the bed, his six-year-old son came into the room. Turov was so comforting and caring to the little boy. I realized I couldn't take him to Koulakova. The monster would have used Turov's family against him as he did my, Viktor's and the other scientists' families. I couldn't be responsible for making another suffer the way I had.

"I contacted Viktor mentally and convinced him to help me. Then, I told Turov and his wife that they were in danger. He told me that he had never wanted his work to be used to build weapons. We came up with a plan to fake his death and get him out of Ukraine. Then, when things calmed down his family would join him.

"We used his car and a cadaver to fake a fatal car crash. Viktor used his powers to make the local police and medical examiner believe that the body was Turov's and to make Daniil believe that we had gotten into a car chase with Turov that ended in tragedy. Then we returned to Koulakova.

"Turov and his family are happy. I will not give up their location."

"Okay."

"That's it?"

"Yes, you are free to leave as soon as you are well. S.H.I.E.L.D. will expunge your record. No more Dark Lady."

Sonya glanced at Clint again.

"However…" Coulson started.

"There's always a 'however'," Clint muttered.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. could use your help. There's a mission that neither S.H.I.E.L.D. nor the Avengers can be associated with. Something that would be right up your alley with your training."

Sonya peered at Clint again.

"A simple retrieval operation. Won't take very long. Could save hundreds of lives though."

"I'm in."

* * *

Sonya strolled out of the Triskelion in a dark pants suit, white button down shirt, black patent heels, black trench coat and black leather gloves all provided by Agent Coulson. She hadn't asked how he had known her size. Her hair was braided and tied in a bun. Her worn, black backpack was on her shoulder. She pulled a pair of dark sunglasses out of a pocket of her coat and put them on when she cleared the shadow of the building.

Clint was waiting for her next to a Ducati Superbike Panigale motorcycle, black, of course, parked on the sidewalk in front of the building. He was clad in dark pants, plain black T-shirt and black leather jacket. He wore the same purple tinted sunglasses he wore when in his Hawkeye uniform.

"We're going on that?" Sonya asked once she was in earshot.

"What? This is cool!" He gestured to the bike.

"And oh, so, inconspicuous."

"You look…healthy again."

"It's amazing what a little sleep and food can do."

He picked up a helmet from the back of the bike and threw it to her. She put it on while he put on his. He climbed on the cycle and made room for his companion. She clambered on to the seat behind him. The fit was very tight. He started the engine and told her to hold on.

They were soon on the main streets of New York City. After about fifteen minutes in traffic, Clint turned into a parking garage beside a building crowned with a large steel 'O'. He parked the motorcycle and they climbed off. She removed her helmet and handed it to him. She surveyed their surroundings.

"You know what to do?" he asked her.

" _Da_. Go to office 1550 and copy disk drive of computer there without being noticed." She removed her backpack and handed it to him. "Watch this, will you?"

"Sure. You've got the flash drive?"

" _Da_. Not my first mission."

She scanned the area one more time then walked towards the nearest stairwell. She descended to the bottom floor and pushed the door to the outside world open. She navigated the sidewalk back to the front of the building. Her senses were heightened; her body tense. All her spy training came flooding back.

She pulled out her empty cell phone and pretended to take a call. As she approached the glass doors that led into the building, they slid open to admit her. Upon exiting the sunlight, the lenses of her glasses transitioned to a subtle gray shade that made identifying her eye color impossible.

She stepped aside of the doors once inside and scanned the interior while continuing her imaginary phone call. The foyer was mostly open with security gates requiring ID badges monitored by several guards to the far left. In the center, there was a large information desk with a huge silver 'O' hung over it and a few small offices to the right. There were about forty people moving in different directions in the wide open area.

She scanned the crowd and zeroed in on a mark—a platinum blond woman coming towards her in a bright red suit and matching lipstick, juggling way too many documents in her arms while trying to carry on a phone conversation and balance a large cup of coffee. She moved briskly in her direction. When they drew close, she looked away to the left and ran directly into the woman causing her to drop some of her documents and phone.

Using her best American accent, Sonya told the upset woman she was sorry as she bent down to help her pick up the papers now scattered across the carpet. She pocketed her own phone.

"Watch where you are going!" the woman yelled. She grabbed the folders angrily and shoved them sloppily on top of the ones she had not dropped.

"I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry." Sonya feigned remorse. She stacked the papers she had picked up on top of the pile in the blonde's hands. As the woman reached for her fallen phone, Sonya deftly unclipped her ID badge from the lapel of her suit and palmed it without the lady noticing.

Once all the documents were collected, they both rose. Sonya played subservient to the woman, asking for forgiveness once again and stepping out her way as she walked off in a huff towards the exit.

She then walked quickly towards the security gates. She smiled sweetly at the guard as she scanned the stolen ID on the gate's card reader and the screen flashed green. She walked through the gate, clipping the badge to the lapel of her trench coat and proceeded to a bank of elevators. When the doors of one of the elevators opened, she allowed the crowd to sweep her into it.

She pressed the button for the eighteenth floor before moving to the back of the lift. She listened patiently to the muzak as the elevator slowly made its way to the selected floor, stopping frequently to let other passengers off. She reached idly into her pocket and felt the S.H.I.E.L.D. tech hidden there—a device that would jam all security cameras within a fifty-foot radius. Only she and an older man in a suit were left when the doors finally opened on her chosen floor.

She stepped out and looked around. A hall ran off to the left and right with cookie cutter offices spaced uniformly along it. A directory of the offices was mounted on the wall opposite the elevators and she pretended to study it. She took the hall to the left until she came to the stairwell. As she pushed the door open, she pressed the button on the jammer so any cameras in the stairway would not register if she went up or down the stairs.

 _I am back in my element—back in the shadows_ , she thought as she descended to the fifteenth floor. _I'm far more comfortable as a spy than a superhero. And I'm better working alone._

She exited the stairwell at the appropriate floor to find it laid out exactly like the floor three stories above. The hall was completely empty, though she could hear phones and other office noises.

A sign indicated offices 1500 – 1550 were to the left. She removed one of her gloves and placed her bare hand on the nearest wall soaking in intel on her surroundings. As cover, she reached down and adjusted the strap on her shoe. She sensed a secretary seated at a desk blocking the entrance to the office she needed to infiltrate. She needed a distraction.

She turned left and walked down the hall replacing her glove. Most of the doors to the offices she passed were closed. When she reached a door adorned with the numbers 1515 in silver metal letters and the name Walter Harper in smaller letters below, she stopped. From her connection with the wall, she knew Walter was currently in Cancun for two weeks and his office was deserted. Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out her lock pick. In the time it would have taken Walter to unlock the door with his key, she picked the lock and pushed the door open. Returning the lock pick to her pocket, she entered the office and closed the door behind her. Hidden for prying eyes, she flipped the office's light on and looked around. It was small and dominated by a large desk and chair.

She waited as the occupant of the neighboring office entered the hallway and walked to the elevators. Once they were gone, she left the office, leaving it unlocked behind her. She moved further down the hall towards her end game. When she reached a small nook containing a large copier and office supplies, she ducked into it. She pulled open the cover that protected the toner cartridge for the machine. Pulling out a small knife from another pocket, she punctured the bottom of the cartridge and closed its cover again. Then she returned to Walter's office and waited. In about five minutes, she heard a commotion. She closed her eyes to "see" what was happening.

One of the floor's other occupants had entered the copier nook to find ink all over the floor. She had run down the hall to get the administrative assistant in charge of the copiers to show her the mess. As the two women looked at the machine, Sonya exited her hiding place, locking the door behind her. As she silently passed the copier room, she saw the admin opening the cover to the toner. She quickened her pace. As she moved past the admin's empty desk and into the office designated as 1550, she heard the shriek. The admin had pulled out the toner which had promptly splattered ink all over her white blouse.

"Sorry," Sonya whispered as she closed the door to her target. She pressed the button to turn the jammer off. There were no cameras in the office. Whatever happened in here, the office's occupant did not want it recorded. She moved to the huge desk pushed close against the large window and sat down in the posh chair. She pulled out the flash drive Coulson had given her and pressed it into the USB drive of the computer on the desk.

The admin now returned to her desk outside the office and spoke in agitated tones to the woman who had called her down to the copier room. Sonya listened as she entered the command to clone the computer's hard drive to the flash drive.

"I'll call the copier people and then I'm taking an early lunch to go home and change clothes. Just look at this! I've only worn this blouse twice! I'll have to figure out how to charge the Company for it!" the admin wailed.

Sonya spun the chair around to look out the window as the screen slowly ticked up the percentage of completeness of the copy. She surveyed the view.

 _I have not had a chance to explore this great city_.

"I'm sure they'll pay for it. I'm so sorry Lola. You should just take the rest of the day off. Your boss is out of town anyway."

"As soon as I did, someone would report me.

"Hello? Yes, this is Lola Cargill on the fifteenth floor. Our copier has malfunctioned and there's ink all over the floor and in the machine." There was a pause. "Okay. I'm going to lunch now and should be back in about an hour." Another pause. "Okay, thanks."

Sonya heard rustling, then the women's voices grew fainter and finally faded to silence. She swung the chair back around just as the screen flashed 100% complete. She removed the drive from the machine and shoved it back in her pocket. Before leaving the office, she turned the jammer back on. She quickly made her way to the stairwell and walked down two floors where she exited. She sauntered down the hall and into the elevator turning the jammer back off.

After passing through the security gates in the lobby, she walked to the large front desk.

"Hi!" she said brightly speaking with an American accent to the young male guard manning the desk.

"Hi!" he answered, perking up.

She held out the ID she had appropriated. "I found this on the floor over there." She pointed to the general location of her collision with the blonde. "I guess somebody dropped it." She smiled broadly.

"Happens all the time. Thank you for turning it in." He took the badge from her, returning her smile.

"You are so welcome." She turned and started walking towards the building's exit. The guard frowned clearly disappointed by her departure.

* * *

Clint was leaning against the seat of the motorcycle when she approached. He climbed back onto it when he saw her. She handed him the USB drive once she reached him. He tucked it into his jacket pocket, then handed over her backpack.

"Hop on and I'll give you a ride back to the school," he said moving forward to give her room on the back of the bike seat.

"I'm not going back to the school." She crossed her arms.

"What? Then what are you going to do?" He sat back on the bike.

"I don't know. Maybe go home. Maybe travel around Europe or America."

"Great! We'll stop by Avenger's HQ and I'll tell them I'm taking a sabbatical. We'll go explore the West together like we discussed." He put a hand on the machine's handle bars preparing to start it.

"Sorry, but I think I need to take this journey alone. I need some time to sort myself out after all that has happened."

"You could stay and sort yourself out here. You could join the Avengers—we have a mutant division now. Or you could just hang out. You could stay with me till you find your own place. I promise to give you plenty of space."

" _Nu_ , I think I need to get away from this place."

"It's him, isn't it? The blue and furry one."

"Beast?" she asked, playfully tilting her head to the side.

"No, the other one…the one with the tail."

"Nightcrawler…"

"Yes. Is there another woman?"

"Women…plural. Apparently there have been quite a few."

"He told you this?"

" _Nu_ , I saw it. I saw all the women from his past." She looked down at her feet.

"I thought your powers didn't work on him."

"For some reason, when I returned from the other dimension, they started working…I won't allow myself to be just another link in his chain."

"And I'm pretty much the same story, huh?"

" _Da_ …but I didn't fall in love with you…" She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Goodbye Clint Barton." She started to walk away, but stopped and turned. "And during your next mission, take out—"

"I know, the guy on the right."

" _Nu_ , the guy on the left."

"Hmm…the times are really changing."

" _Da_ …" She turned to go.

"Wait! Let me give you my cellphone—"

She tapped her temple. "If I need it, I know it." She didn't turn around, but started walking.

"What if we need you?" he called after her.

"I'll know it and I'll be back." She continued walking away.

He watched her disappear into the stairwell then started his motorcycle. "Yeah, a clairvoyant girlfriend probably would have sucked." He rode off.

As she negotiated the stairs, Sonya pulled her I-Pod out of her backpack and put it in a coat pocket. She placed the earbuds in her ears and hit the play button on the device. James Blunt's "Face the Sun" started playing from where it had been paused—just after the first chorus. _Fitting._ She hummed along as she walked.


	13. Epilogue

A couple of days later a letter came in the mail addressed to Ororo—Sonya's official resignation letter. She explained she needed an extended leave of absence to figure out what she wanted to do now that her obligation to the X-Men was over. She asked that someone look after Annabelle and read her bedtime stories every now and then. She also asked someone to care for the plants in her greenhouse. She included instructions on what to do for the next six months in the financial account she had set up in Santo's name. Lastly, she vowed to watch over her former teammates and if she was needed, to return. Everything was neatly wrapped up in a bow.

She implored the X-Men not to search for her. She had in her possession a bracelet that contained the same technology Koulakova had used to shield his compound. It would shield her from all telepathic attempts to locate her—telepaths, bamfs and Cerebro.

I had to try anyway. All attempts failed.

I contacted her family in Romania. They said they video-conferenced with her, but it was random and she always contacted them. They had no way to contact her. They only knew she had left the X-Men and was traveling in America.

I spoke with the Avenger Hawkeye. With some "persuading", he informed me that she had never read or touched the letter I wrote. After more…discussion, he also told me everything she had said in the parking garage before she disappeared. He swore he did not know how to get in contact with her and had not heard from her since that day.

So, I find myself alone again, hoping, waiting. I still catch a hint of her perfume in some of the rooms around the school; I still feel her presence. The piece of her soul she left behind sustains me, strengthens me, guides me.

I have written everything that happened down for posterity. For I know I will someday find her again and when my grandchildren ask how I met their grandmother, I will pull this journal out and tell them the story truly.


End file.
